


Stars and Roses - MardLu Week

by MadSoullessQueen



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Alpha Female, Cinderfella au, Drunk Sex, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fairy Tale Retellings, Heterosexual Sex, Humor, MardLu, MardLu Ship Week 2019, Romance, Werewolf/Dhampire Sex, Writing Contracts with Demons, urban fantasy au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-13
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-07-11 23:29:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 49,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15982775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadSoullessQueen/pseuds/MadSoullessQueen
Summary: It has come to Mard Geer's attention that there was not a MardLu week and he plans on fixing this with his Rosebud. With his queen in his lap, a dark roast in his hand, they set out to fix this glaring oversight. You knew this announcement was coming! Mark your calendars (Jan 1-9, 2019) and take a peek. Rated E for future stories.





	1. Announcement

I do not own Fairy Tail, that belongs to Hiro Mashima.

Don't be surprised...you knew this was bound to happen!

* * *

Mard's brows furrowed as he kept clicking through the pages. This made no sense to him and after hours he still did not find the answers he wanted. He let out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. A few more clicks and he was ready to find this Google and destroy it.

"What's wrong my king?" Rosebud asked as she placed a fresh cup of coffee at his desk.

"I do not understand it. There is a strange phenomenon in your fanfiction world, a  _ship_  week. I have seen many types of you and others but where is the Mard Geer Tartaros and Rosebud week?" He asked while picking up his mug and breathing in the aroma of his beloved dark roast.

She giggled as her nimble fingers massaged his shoulders, forcing Mard to instantly relax under her touch. "Mard, it just hasn't been done yet, that's all."

The demon arched a brow, "why is that?"

His Rosebud laughed again as she came around to curl into his lap, this Mard approved of greatly. Her beautiful coffee colored eyes looked into his before she placed a kiss to his cheek. "I don't really know, maybe I could start one."

Mard's lips quirked up in a small smile, "a whole week of you writing about our romance?" He greatly liked this idea, after all who would not want to celebrate the King of the Underworld and his Queen of Light. Also, in general it helped that when she wrote these stories, it inspired many nights of active love making. That was one of the reasons why he supported her writing vehemently, that and the way she smiles when she writes. How beautiful she looks with her lips pursed in concentration, as her eyes shimmer slightly, and her fingers typing at speeds he could barely keep track of. All to lead up to when she posts her work and she smiles in that little moment.

"Yes, I think maybe we'll start 2019 as the year of MardLu," she said.

"MardLu?" he asked, a bit curious why you would not just say Mard Geer and Lucy.

"Just a nickname for the ship, so we'll need some words for writing prompts and dates," Rosebud shifted a little and grabbed the post-it notes and a pen next to the laptop machine. Wonderful little device really, especially since he can use it to order coffee from all over the world. That was such a nice bonus to it's usefulness.

"Any words?" he asked as she lightly sucked on the end of the pen. Watching her full lips wrap around the end was giving him all the best ideas of things to do after they settled this conundrum.

"Yep," she said with a pop.

Mard had this settled easily and using one hand, because the other was happy resting on Rosebud's hip, he went to a random word site. Since this was a week, he typed in 7 and had the site do his thinking for him. the first list he didn't like but Rosebud had picked out a couple words for her little list. Since he would not be writing, he could let her choose whatever she liked. He hit enter again to bring up a new list, he liked this better.

"Prey, makes me think of chasing you around," he said tilting his head to take a nip of her neck.

"Grudge, seems like a good fit for my king," she laughed and yes he could see that. Though he knew damn well that his Rosebud could hold quite a grudge herself, it was charming when she was angry.

He looked at the next word on her list. "Premature? Why? I don't like that word, Rosebud," Mard half growled which she answered by pressing her lips against his for a moment. Mard Geer was never premature and to think that such a word would be associated with him.

"It's not all about sex, my king," she said as their lips parted and Mard blinked. Since when? He wondered trying to figure out if it was possible for his queen to write something without sex. Especially not if he was in it and many nights of passion and years together they still had a very active sex life. It was also one of his favorite things, and by the way she shifted in his lap to stretch her legs out a little. Sex was on in a few more minutes, but first, this lack of  _MardLu_  had to be planned and fixed.

"Fine," he grumbled as he read the next word in his list, "edict."

She raised a brow at him before writing the word down with a slight shake of her head. He is a king after all, edicts are important, she should know this as Rosebud had made a few herself during their reign. Mard grabbed his coffee mug and took a sip as she nibbled her pen before her eyes widened.

"Coffee."

"I approve of that, my next word," Mard considered the list and a couple of her stories for a moment. What would be fun? Inspiring and daring, especially considering some trouble she'd gotten into with a little hate group. "Marked," he said with a grin and she giggled.

"You love baiting the trolls don't you?" she teased and he nodded before enjoying more of the rich dark roast. If he recalled that story, Lucy was marked with two roses making her his mate, a wonderful concept, unrealistic but for the story it was a beautiful gesture. Outside of her story world she was aptly marked with the ring he gave her, just like he wore the one she had created for him. His fingers started sliding up her side and under her shirt and he loved the feel of her silky skin.

"Daddy! Ram took my book!" Haladie shouted as she ran into the office and Mard sighed. Ever since they became parents random acts of midday sex, rarely happened. Perhaps they needed a vacation again, yes, King and Queen should take a month away. Leave the kids with Grandpa Zeref, after all he was so anxious to be a grandfather.

"There's our next word, book," Rosebud added it to her list.

_Chakram Tartaros, return the book now,_  Mard growled through his telepathy. In exactly six seconds, Ram appeared in the room and handed the book to Haley, she smiled at her brother right before smacking him upside the head with the book.

"Haley! You do not hit your brother," Rosebud snarled and Mard knew this was not going to end well. So much for the lusty thoughts of trying to sneak in a quickie on the desk. He should give up on the idea and think of something that had a higher rate of success, taking his Rosebud on vacation.

"Sorry, Rammie, you stupid head!" their daughter shouted before she ran out of the room. Mard looked at his son and Chakram could only shrug before he turned to leave. He sent a gentle reminder to his blonde haired troublemaker to not take revenge on his twin sister.

"That's seven words?" Mard asked, figuring they could finish this up so she could notify her friends and fans.

"Bonus day, roses and that will do it," she said with a playful wink.

Mard took the little list, "Prey, grudge, premature, edict, coffee, book, marked, and roses."

"Yes, and I think we should do it from January first through ninth, 2019. Great way to start off the new year, celebrate the first anniversary of Thorn in his Side and it's my friend's Mad's birthday during that week."

"So now what?" he asked, not certain what else there was to do to announce a  _ship_  week. Why did they use the work ship? A ship was a vessel on water not a relationship. It made no sense to him.

"Now, I have to write it up and announce it, then start planning and writing and leading up to this," Rosebud said as she got out of his lap.

"Can it wait?" he asked as he leaned forward to put his hands on her waist before he rose to standing.

Rosebud set down the pen and notepad, her arms curling around his neck. Mard pulled her into a kiss, something that promised her that if she could stop writing for a couple hours and if he could just lock the office door, he'd inspire the next great story.

_Love you, my king, now go lock that door_ , she thought.

Mard didn't need to be told twice and as he turned around his Rosebud was tossing her shirt to the side without a care in the world. Mard Geer, certainly had a wonderful life.

* * *

There you have it! Thanks to Dragon'sHost, im ur misconception, and GemNika for planning and providing prompts!

Please let me know if you'll be joining all the MardLu fun...because damnit... he deserved a week.

Day 1: Prey

Day 2: Grudge

Day 3: Premature

Day 4: Edict

Day 5: Coffee

Day 6: Book

Day 7: Marked

Bonus: Roses

* * *

**As always kudos, comment and bookmark!**


	2. MardLu Art

Almost ready to start this little week of fun. If you are planning on joining me, please let me know so I can bookmark and add it to my Stars and Roses Collection.

 

To celebrate I went and painted a cute little MardLu picture for this. You are free to use this image in your MardLu works provided you give credit to me as the artist, do not try to sell it and do not share it on other sites such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and etc. You may use it as a cover for Wattpad or FFN, again with credit to me. 

 

Back to writing and enjoy the fanart ^^

 

 


	3. Prey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy, having won her Alpha rights, moves to Magnolia to begin her new life in a small town. Eager to meet her neighbors she’s taken aback by the handsome man with a cart of roses. He’s smooth and charming, making it impossible for her to say no to his offer of a tour. Though as she discovers it’s a small world and mutual friends are eager to help her catch her new prey.
> 
> Mard Geer had been having a rough few months but a fresh little rosebud in town gives him a chance to smile. Though they are of different species, friends help push him forward into taking a chance on life and love. All he has to do is let her catch him. Urban Fantasy AU

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail.

**NOTE: I am posting this early because tomorrow I'll be traveling all day and didn't want to forget. the rest of MardLu Week will release on schedule.**

* * *

 

 

Lucy set down the last box as she smiled in satisfaction at her new little home. She had been excited for this move ever since her pack leader gave her permission to form her own. This was her first big step and being free now to be her own alpha was everything to her.

She moved to a small town, Magnolia that was on the outskirts of her pack’s main hunting territory. Lucy was close enough to still call on them for help but far enough away to start exuding her own dominance. As she opened the kitchen box, she though heavily about all the events that got her here.

In her hands was a cute little coffee cup, pink with a black wolf print on it, a birthday gift from Gray, her Alpha. She smiled at the memory as she put it away into the cabinet. He believed in her and did not hold back on their fight to prove that she was ready to be on her own.

Gray was the Arctic Wolf, in his human form he was an impressive man with raven hair, solid muscles and large eyes that caught everything. In his wolf form, he was solid white with black eyes and twice the size of the other wolves. For his size he was merciful and kind to those smaller than him, well those that didn’t try to take him on. Lucy adored him as a friend, mentor and Alpha because he believed in her as the Golden Wolf.

Lucy worked to empty the box, lining the cups up in neat little rows with the handles all pointing the same direction. She thought about that night, the ceremony where the pack had stood in two lines and as she walked down the aisle they dropped leashes at her feet. This marked her as free and as she stood before Gray he smiled at her before gripping her collar and ripping it off her. They feasted, howled and celebrated one last hunt together before she bid farewell to her family to start her own.

A smile on her face she broke down the box and set it neatly on the pile with the others. She hoped she wouldn’t need to move again, but just in case she opted to store the flattened boxes in her closet. Now that the kitchen was done she was ready to grab her list and head to the grocery store, she was starving. To celebrate she planned on a nice little treat of a good porterhouse, rare because anything above it is a waste and not good for her wolf digestion.

Her phone beeped, and she saw a text from Gray asking if she was settled in and needed anything. She smiled and hugged the phone to her chest before letting him know that she was fine and ready to go grocery shopping. He sent back a smiling emoji and said he’d let Natsu know for her.

As she put on her running shoes, she glanced at her lunar calendar, full moon in three days. Tonight, she figured it would be a good time to scout out the area a bit more and look for game trails in the woods. Lucy loved chasing rabbits and deer, finding both to be the most fun to pursue because of their high energy and bounce.

She wasn’t interested in chasing people; her pack forbade it unless you were taking down a bad wolf or criminal. Most of her pack worked as bounty hunters or law enforcement finding the traits of a werewolf to be ideally suited for the professions. Lucy wasn’t interested in that, she wanted to be a writer and conservationist, using words and actions to protect nature. Afterall, destroy nature and where would wolves play?

They couldn’t play in cities, the sounds and stench of pollution too harsh on their systems. Also, vampires and hunters were always a problem, so wolves stuck to small towns in the country. Though some wolves liked the city, as she found out when she was attacked in Era and turned into a werewolf.

Lucy shivered as she mindlessly touched the old scars down her neck and remembered to put a scarf on, she had many to choose from. Selecting a light blue one with dark blue paw prints to match with her navy t-shirt and white skater skirt. Feeling a bit better about herself, Lucy grabbed her keys and wallet and stepped out, hoping to meet her neighbors.

As she came down the stairs she smelt roses, lots of roses and she scrunched her nose at the scent. It wasn’t overly heavy but still she didn’t remember smelling them earlier and as she stepped outside she saw the source of them. Across the street was a small flower cart with a burgundy overhang and many plastic vases filled with assorted blooms. On the sign next to it read, “Tartaros Rose Shoppe” and a special 15 roses for the price of 12.

What really caught her attention was the man who came out from behind the cart holding on to a bouquet of roses before depositing them into an empty vase. She knew her jaw was open and her eyes wide as she took him in. He was fair in complexion with large black eyes, long beautiful dark plum hair high in a pony tail and was stacked, those jeans were not hiding the curvature of a very nice man butt.

Lucy tried to not whistle at the guy but found her feet moving of their own. She managed to remember to look both ways before crossing the street and approached the flower cart, but more importantly the man running it. And holy shit, up close he smelt better than he looked, a big turn on for most wolves.

“Hello, may I help you?” he asked his voice deep and smooth.

“Hi! I just moved in and wow you smell good!” she exclaimed as he tilted his head to the side and looked at her with an amused expression on his face. Lucy felt her cheeks heat up as she looked at the ground for a moment, “the roses, roses smell good, I wasn’t smelling you.”

He covered his mouth and chuckled, “thank you for the interesting compliment.” He extended his hand and Lucy took it, “Mard Geer, pleasure to meet you.”

“Lucy Heartfilia,” she said hoping to goddess above she was not grinning like a mad woman.

“You just moved in, what brings you to Magnolia?” he asked, and she felt his finger extend out and lightly rub over her pulse point. The touch was simple but wow, was it making her dizzy.

“I took a job with the local newspaper, time to get out on my own,” she said finally letting go of his hand and looking up at him.

“Reporter then, interesting, though the news here is not very exciting unless you like farmer’s market and the occasional high school vandal.”

“I prefer the country life, easier on the nose and quitter at night,” she said.

“Scent is important to you, interesting, I will remember that,” he said, and she blinked, did she give herself away? Mard smiled at her and plucked a dark rose from one of the vases, “this one has a light fragrance, I think you’ll enjoy it, not overpowering.”

Lucy sniffed the rose and smiled, the scent was pleasing and very light. “And it matches the color of your cheeks,” he said.

“Oh!” she giggled, knowing that she was feeling a bit embarrassed.

“It is charming, like a little rosebud.”

“H-how much?” she asked.

“Beautiful rose for a beautiful lady, perhaps we can meet for coffee and I can show you around town, sometime in the near future.” Lucy took a small step back and blushed again at his compliment and his asking her out, it was smooth though, she gave him bonus points for that.

“O-okay, I’d like that,” she stammered, feeling very insecure about her bumbling around words around him.

“I usually close up the cart at sun down, if you don’t mind walking with me while I put it into storage we can start our tour then,” he offered.

Lucy looked at him, she didn’t see anything wrong with his offer, he didn’t seem like the serial killer type or something perverse. She didn’t pick up a stench of death, sulfur or anything to mark him as anything but just a nice human guy with roses. “Okay, I have to um,” she unconsciously played with her scarf,” have to go grocery shopping first.”

Mard smiled and pointed behind her, “three blocks down then hang a right, little corner butcher shop with a good produce stand.”

“Thank you, Mard. So nice to make a new friend,” she chirped before turning and walking away.

“See you later little Rosebud,” he called out. Lucy blushed at the little name and with a light spring in her step she made her way towards the butcher shop.

* * *

“Ya dun see that every day, she’s adorable,” Merlin said as Mard spun around and looked at his mage friend. Merlin was wearing a pair of ripped up jeans, sandals and a light green tank top that played off her naturally tanned skin.

“How long were you spying?” he asked rolling his eyes.

“Not long, I just got here, with coffee,” she said handing him the to go cup from The Comfy Nook. It was their favorite coffee shop and Mard always appreciated it when Merlin would treat him to a cup.

“Thank you, now is there something wrong with Lucy?” he asked, taking a sip of his dark roast as he watched people walk by his little cart.

“She’s a werewolf, little nipper bet she’s from Gray’s pack,” she shrugged and Mard wrestled with trying to not spit out his coffee. Out of all the werewolves to run into, he should do a courtesy check in with Gray before taking her anywhere.

 “Least it is not a full moon, in theory this should be alright,” he hoped.

“Pish, you’re fine, besides ya need a date Mard and ya need a little fun after…” she pursed her lips and looked down for a moment, “how’s mum these days?” she asked, taking a sip of her own coffee.

“Okay, misses dad but that is normal. I should bring her some fresh roses.” Mard smiled at a passing woman and she nearly tripped on the uneven sidewalk. He quickly grabbed her and held her up, careful of not spilling his coffee in the process. The woman blushed and righted her dress before smiling and leaving, Mard was only upset that he didn’t get a sale out of it.

Roses seemed to only sell well for a few days out of the year, the rest of the time was hit or miss. Though he had a couple commercial contracts that was supporting his business, still he would rather enjoy the time outside. It was the only reason why he didn’t have an actual store front, Mard liked his sunshine.

“Yeah, liked yer dad, good human,” she said and Mard nodded. He tried to not think about his father as the old man died in his sleep, but at a hundred years old he had long out lived other humans. His mom was still not handling it well but at least now he could get her to come out of the house twice a week to take long walks with him.

There was a very good reason why different species didn’t mix, like vampires and humans. His light vampire mother would live forever but his mortal father only had so much time. Contrary to belief, turning a human into a vampire didn’t happen for certain types, otherwise he’d still have his father.  No, light vampires got the sunshine and had no issues with holy objects, but dark vampires got to turn humans into vampires. Mavis tried to get a dark vampire to turn Zeref, but Jose had just refused.

Mard tried to not think about it, but his father had only passed away a few months ago. It still hurt but at least he had seventy good years with the man, even if it was difficult to watch his last few years as he was stuck to a bed and slowly forgetting who his family was.

“So, what brings you by?” Mard asked hoping to change conversation.

“What I can’t just visit my best mate?” she asked and Mard knew better, with Merlin there was always something. She laughed, “was hoping to find your brother, ya know…”

Mard shook his head, “he took the librarian job at the high school. So…” before he could finish Merlin grinned and vanished.

Grumbling to himself, “seriously those two just need to stop playing cat and mouse.” He had known that both had a crush on each other for decades, one would think they could be adult enough to just admit it and try a date.

Though he wasn’t any better, Mard usually was too busy with his roses to bother. A few times he attempted dating, did not end well and he usually avoided it. However, asking Lucy out seemed completely natural and he was a bit surprised at how forward he was with the little werewolf.

Werewolf, boy did he step into it. How did he not detect it? Then again, he had only met two wolves in his life, an old boyfriend Gray and his father Silver. Last he knew Gray was living outside of Crocus and his pack was one of the largest in the area.

He decided to send Gray a message if he knew Lucy. The response was a phone call as Mard was handing change to a panicked man. Just another guy in a hurry to buy flowers to apologize for being stupid.

“Mard Geer Tartaros,” he said.

“Hey Mard, you met Lucy?” Gray asked and Mard smiled to hear his friend sound excited.

“Yes, Merlin noticed she is a wolf, figured I would check with you.” It would be polite after all, just to make sure she wasn’t under protection and maybe find out what he had gotten himself into.

“Yep, and that’s awesome I forgot you moved back to Magnolia after…” Gray paused, “how is Mavis doing?”

“Mother is okay, it is still difficult for her. I will let her know you asked, now about Lucy,” Mard knew Gray was trying to be polite but he wanted to keep the call somewhat brief.

“Sure, she won her Alpha rights a couple weeks ago. Hey, ummm, look I know your busy but could you like keep an eye out on her?” he asked.

“Well,” Mard rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped behind his cart, “I asked her out without realizing she is a wolf.”

There was some mumbled shouting before he heard, “hey vampy babe.”

“Hello Corvus, I detest that name,” Mard rolled his eyes, leave it to Gray to notify his boyfriend, a Raven shifter about this situation. Now he was going to have to deal with the excitable love-struck man.

“OMG you two would be all the adorbs. Light dhampire and our little golden wolfie, oh think of the puppies!” Corvus chirped and Mard realized he couldn’t roll his eyes any harder.

“Little premature, I only offered a guided tour of Magnolia,” he said.

“I approve of this, Mard, you’re a good guy and Lucy is a really good girl with a big heart,” Gray said and Mard could picture him grinning. Odds are those two were going to start planning a wedding. Least it wasn’t Mira, as much as he loved his demonic cousin, she was the eternal matchmaker.

“Gray you know the Council detests mixed mating.” The Council oversaw all the non-human species and tried to keep things civil. Though they were horribly old fashioned and wanted species to be pure, they once tried to come after his family for being mixed but his parents let them have it. His parents were one of the first legal mixed couples, but it was still difficult. Mard still hated pure bloods because of the drama.

“Mard that was a long time ago, the current Council is a little more progressive, but to your point, it’s just a tour. I will tell Corvus… oh shit,” Mard could hear the phone drop and clank on some surface as he heard a loud caw.

“Sorry, had to stop my lovable partner from putting this all over _Fiendbook_.”

Mard pinched the bridge of his nose, “Gray tell him if he does, I will personally pluck him clean the next time I see you both.”

His friend laughed and relayed the message, “well now you scared him, asshole.”

“Stripper.”

“You were one too, so don’t go there,” Gray shot back and Mard groaned. It was true they met at a strip club as Mard worked the late shift to pay for his college. It was not his finest moment of his life, but you do what you must to survive.

“Anyways, Lucy is on her own to start her own pack. I actually feel better knowing you are there, she’s tough as fuck but…”

“I get it, I will keep an eye on her. What does she hunt?”

“Rabbits and deer, actually you’re still on the farm? I remember the woods there having great game trails.” Gray said.

“No, I bought the acreage next to it for my gardens. I can show her the woods and the trails and let her know she’s free to hunt there. Mother will not mind, maybe she will even like having a wolf around,” Mard said, certain that Mavis would enjoy watching a wolf hunt. She always admired the beasts and was heartbroken when Gray and Mard had explained to her that they were no longer dating. Which was for the best, as Corvus seemed to be a better fit with the pack.

“Great, thanks man, I appreciate you.”

“That was my dick, Gray,” Mard joked, forcing Gray to chuckle.

“You win, seriously, if things click I’d be damn happy, so go get you some,” Gray disconnected the call and Mard put the little device in his pocket.

Mard went back to work, watching the street for potential customers and polishing off his coffee. As time went by he saw Lucy coming back down the street her arms full of bags. Looking quickly, Mard darted across the street and grabbed one of the bags from her.

“Oh!” she exclaimed, “thank you, Mard.”

“Didn’t want you to trip, where are you headed?” he asked, being polite and needing a quick break.

“Over there, second floor,” she said and Mard stepped to the side letting her lead. If anything, this served two purposes, Alphas liked to lead, and he got to watch her walk. She had a wonderful walk with a nice roll of her hips and beautifully shapely legs.

He followed her through the small apartment building, a bit dismayed at how it was slightly run down in the interior. Then again, if he recalled the woman who owned the building was quite old, so this was most likely to be expected. Lucy unlocked her door and spun around.

“I can take it from here, thank you. See you later?” she asked.

“If you are certain,” she nodded, and he put the extra bag into her full arms, “yes, I am looking forward to it.”

“I know, Corvus told me,” she said with a wink before closing the door with her foot.

Mard clenched and shook his fist, ready to go pluck bird boy. He started to worry about what else Corvus might have told her. Though it could not have been that bad, if she was still agreeing to meet with him. Either way Mard his way downstairs in time to see a young boy staring at the register, he sprinted over and gave the kid a scare in the process.

Since he had several more hours to go before he would get to see Lucy again, Mard ordered some coffee and a sandwich. He knew this was going to be a long day.

* * *

 

Once Lucy got her groceries put away she took a seat on her little couch and called Corvus.

“Hey Queenie,” he said, and she giggled. He gave her that nickname after she beat Laxus’s ass at the Wolf Games and stood on him declaring herself “Queen of this Bitch”. She may have been a little crazy at the time from all the hits he levied against her skull.

Lucy leaned back and put her feet up, “how’s my favorite bird brain?”

“Hey! I resemble that remark, missy. Okay look, dish, you met Mard? OMG! He’s hawt, am I right?” Corvus said, the words almost a jumble as he managed all of that in one breath.

“How do you know him?” she asked.

“Oh hunnie, I keep tabs on all the good-looking ones, besides him and Gray used to be a thing, college days and all that,” he said, and Lucy’s mouth fell open and she almost dropped her phone.

“What? He’s a wolf? How did I not know?” she asked.

“What? No, he’s a dhampire, his mom, really super sweet lady is a light vampire. His dad was Zeref, the human civil rights guy, you know the one that organized the march that stopped school segregation?”

Everyone had heard of Zeref Dragneel, the human who fell in love with a light vampire and fought the system. He had organized peaceful protests, hunger strikes and much more all in the name of getting non-humans accepted into society. The man was a legend and a personal hero to many. If she recalled correctly he passed away a couple months ago at the ripe old age of one hundred. Though she didn’t remember reading about him having a child.

“Are you shitting me? Can’t be the same, this one is a farmer with a cart of roses and different last name,” she said, sitting up and shifting the curtain a bit to look down at the street. She was watching Mard hand a woman a bouquet of roses and for a moment she wanted to rip that lady’s throat out. Lucy ignored it and went back to reclining in the sofa.

“Like fer real Queenie, Mard is the shit. So, what you wearing tonight?” Corvus was always quick to change topics.

“But, oh snap,” Lucy said as she pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Hey, it’s cool, Gray and I are rooting for this, you two would be adorbs. Besides, puppies!” he chirped.

“I’m gonna hang up on you, stop that,” she teased.

“It’s all good, honestly, I kind of like this ship, so sailing this,” Corvus began to whistle the theme to “Love Boat” and Lucy rolled her eyes for a moment before she heard him caw.

“Lucy, it’s Gray, sorry if Corvus is being Corvus.”

“It’s okay, I know how he is, still one of my favorite people. So…. Mard, huh?” she asked.

Gray let out a breath, “ancient history, we only dated for like six months.”

Lucy perked up a little, though she was still a little worried about this, “he’s a dhampire.”

“Light dhampire, big difference, it’s all good. Look our beef is with dark vampires, besides Mard is fun as fuck to stalk, dat ass,” he said making Lucy bust out laughing.

“Oh, I noticed,” which was true, she most certainly did notice his ass. She also noticed everything else about him besides the fact he’s half vampire, but Gray was really cool with him. Though she could have been happy not knowing that Mard… “wait, is he gay?”

“Pansexual, I think, most vampires tend to be cause feeding. Which by the way, let that man bite you anywhere, you’ll thank me later,” he said, and Lucy felt her cheeks heat up. She was getting sex advice from her former Alpha about a guy she had only met.

“You’re horrible, it’s a tour, I’m not going to jump him,” she said.

“You should Queenie, get your pounce on,” Corvus added in and Lucy started chuckling.

“Lucy just be yourself and keep an open mind, Mard would totally rock your world if you let him.”

“Thanks Gray, so Corvus I was thinking of a simple dress, like that little backless blue one with my gold sandals,” Lucy switched topics, figuring she had heard enough of a ringing endorsement about her tour guide tonight.

“Loving it, what scarf, I think a light pink would be so pretty and girly.”

“Done! I have to go, need to get showered and ready,” Lucy said stretching out a bit before sitting up.

“Have fun, call me later with all the deets,” her Raven shifting friend said and Lucy agreed before she hung up and made her way toward the bathroom.

Lucy was a flurry of activity as she readied herself for her tour tonight, hoping she wasn’t expecting too much out of the man. The shadows in the room were getting longer and with one final look over, Lucy deemed herself ready to go get a tour of the town with one very attractive dhampire.

“Who would have ever thought, I’d look forward to a date with a half vampire?” she asked herself as she put on a little more strawberry gloss. It was kind of surprising, all things considered but that’s life she figured and grabbing her purse, Lucy headed out.

She made it down stairs to get a beautiful view of Mard bending over as he was moving vases into the storage compartment. Lucy held her breath as she studied his very fine form wrapped in denim before reminding herself to not be rude.

“Hello, again,” she said as she approached him.

“Small world is it not?” he asked with a smile on his face.

Lucy nodded, “really tiny. Maybe it’s just kismet.”

Mard reached into the cart and pulled out a delicate smaller pink rose. He looked at her and Lucy nodded, knowing what he was thinking. She let him put the flower in her hair, “it matches your scarf.”

“Thank you, Mard,” she said, and he took her hand, placing a soft kiss to her knuckles.

“You are most welcome,” he replied and Lucy internally swooned.

“This way I need to get my cart put away and then we can begin. Did you eat dinner?” he asked and dear goddess above if she didn’t love his voice. She was certain Gray was right, he could rock her world, but not on the first date. Well, maybe.

“No, I was busy and it completely skipped my mind,” she said as her stomach started protesting. Lucy was ready to stab it as Mard softly chuckled.

“There’s a wonderful bistro near the storage facility, this way,” he said, and she noticed at just how easily he moved the heavy looking object.

“Any reason you don’t just lock up the cart and leave it there?” she asked, wondering why he was doing all the extra work.

“Vandals and to leave it out would require a special permit, I detest permits and papercuts.”

Lucy chuckled, “I understand, it looks heavy.”

“It is, for a normal human.”

“I guess we should clear the air, I’m a werewolf not by birth and it’s cool that you’re a half light vampire,” she said.

“How progressive of you Rosebud,” he deadpanned, making her laugh at his tone.

“At least I never fucked my Alpha,” she snipped back at him.

“That was your loss then,” he said, and she bristled. The man was damn snarky, and Lucy was legit enjoying that. She could see this go on for hours and not be bored, which was a rare treat indeed.

“Are you always like this?”

“Sarcastic? Yes, it requires so little effort.”

Mard made a left turn as they walked down an alley, the lighting here was very dim but that wasn’t a concern. The concern was the stench of rotting food and baby diapers left out in the heat. Lucy pinched her nose.

“Apologies, I forget how horrible this place can smell, let us pick up the pace then,” he said, and Lucy watched how he moved at a speed that made her inner wolf take notice. The game was on and if he was going to be quick like a bunny, she would easily follow him. The hunt was on and Lucy was smiling from ear to ear.

She was giggling as she ran, dodging broken glass and jumping over a puddle of something rancid. Mard was quick, she gave him that but after a minute she caught up to him and jumped on his back. He stopped and wobbled for a second before he continued, walking normally and chuckling.

“You are fast, though we will need to see if you can catch me, if I am not pushing several hundred pounds of cart,” he said, and Lucy chuckled.

“Sounds like a challenge,” she said as she adjusted herself to enjoy the free piggy back ride. Something about wrapping herself around Mard felt very right to her, it was odd.

Lucy was always the trusting sort, making friends easily before the attack and after she put up walls. Though it seemed like the gorgeous and sweet farmer had managed to scale them easily. She was relaxed around him, making her feel like the old Lucy before she changed.

“Indeed, Rosebud,” he said as he came around a corner and stopped before a large door. “My keys are in my front left pocket, be a dear.”

Lucy blushed before she reached into his pocket, skimming her hand down his very toned side. She could feel muscle definition under the silken shirt and internally purred, god she loved the male form.

She pulled out the keys and laughed at the little key charm of a book, “you’re a reader?”

“Yes, books have always been friends. It is a passion I share with my twin,” Mard said as he unlocked the door and knelt down to push it up.

“You have a twin? How does the world handle having two very hot guys in it?” she asked.

Mard chuckled, “not identical, though brother is quite handsome.” He guided the cart in there and Lucy felt a small tingle dance across her skin. “My magic helps the roses, this way I can preserve stock.”

“That’s cool,” she whispered.

“I suppose, not the most intimidating vampiric power ever given but it does have uses.” Mard locked up the door and adjusted her on his back, his hand behind her knees had made her jump a little, for all the right reasons. “I take it, you are going to keep your legs around my waist for a while tonight?”

Lucy blushed and wiggled but he held her tight, “I do not mind.”

“W-well okay then.”

“Now, on to dinner as your mode of transportation I recommend you hang on and try not to scream. Sensitive hearing and all that,” he said and she nodded, pressing her cheek against his shoulder Lucy breathed in his delicious scent.

Mard took off, the speed akin to riding in a car before he jumped, landing on top of a two-story building and running over the rooftop before jumping to the next one. Lucy had done parkour before as a training exercise but never on someone’s back and not at this speed. Gray was right he was going to be fun as hell to stalk, chase and pounce.

He jumped down in an alley and quietly walked towards the busy road. Lucy could smell food, lots of food and people, but her nose really wanted to keep sniffing Mard. He didn’t even break a sweat from all that activity and her brain started going off into other directions about his stamina, the kind of directions that made her hope she wasn’t making a wet stain on his shirt.

* * *

 

She was so light that Mard could easily show off a bit and have some fun on the trip to the bistro. Least now, the little wolf would know that he wasn’t typical prey and if she wanted to catch him, she would have to work for it. Though, to feel her wrapped around him, albeit in a more carnal position would be worth letting her win.

Mard walked to the bistro as if it was perfectly normal to have her on his back. People chuckled at the site and he paid them no mind, only stopping when he heard his name being called. He spun around and noticed something that made him smile, his twin with his best friend holding his hand. The blushing of his brother’s cheeks was comical as Freed wasn’t usually so forthcoming with showing emotions.

“Brother mine, good evening, who is this?” he asked. Freed was dressed in a burgundy vest, white shirt and tan dress slacks, as was his usual attired when he was being less formal. Though it was significantly a stark contrast to his best friend’s personal style.

“Lucy Heartfilia,” he tapped his thumb against her knee and she unhooked her legs, sliding off his back, “this is my twin Freed and my best friend, Merlin.”

He noticed how she sniffed the air before she smiled at the interesting pair, “nice to meet both of you.”

“Charmed,” he said with a slight bow. Mard noticed how Merlin was just grinning and that was bad. In fact, Merlin grinning was always a bad sign, that meant she was plotting trouble and it would most likely involve glitter. That was the norm but she shook her head and winked.

_A Date, Mard! We, well he asked…_ she said into his head.

_About time_ , he concurred, _now please tell me you are not going to Mimi’s Bistro._

_We ain’t now,_ she replied.

“Freed, love, I was thinking, how about I take you somewhere truly special. I know a great open-air cafe in Onore,” Merlin said.

“In Minstrel?” his brother asked and Mard grinned, grateful for his friend. She easily got the hint that he wanted this little Rosebud all to himself. Though he would have enjoyed spending a night with them, their first date and him actually on a date, not exactly the right time.

Lucy blinked and looked up at him, he could see the curiosity in her eyes. “Merlin is a mage,” he whispered as she mouthed a silent ‘oh’.

“Well brother mine, perhaps another night the four of us can enjoy a meal together,” he said and Mard nodded.

“I shall see you tomorrow night for dinner with mother,” Mard replied as the new couple vanished before his eyes.

“Wow, they look so neat together. Have they been dating long? You can like smell…” she put her hands over her mouth and looked at the ground. Though her hands were not hiding the fact that she was blushing wildly.

“I have dealt with that scent off of them for about forty years now, my brother is not always the most astute when it comes to the fairer sex,” he said.

She giggled as she dropped her hands and the red dissipating off her cheeks. “How good is your sense of smell?”

“Nowhere near the level of a wolf, but enough to avoid bad blood.”

Mard kept his gaze on her, though he did detect the subtle scent of her arousal. She was certainly beautiful, and that dress was flattering to her figure. He knew she’d start picking up on his pheromone changes soon, which could be good or bad. Since she was already reciprocating the attraction, he hoped for good and not offensive.

He took her hand, noticing how easily she fit into his larger one and led her to the bistro. Out the corner of his eye he saw her large coffee colored eyes dart around trying to not stare at him.

They arrived at Mimi’s Bistro, the small place busy with people filling out the outdoor seating area and he noticed the inside was equally as busy. The small restaurant was a little hidden gem in Magnolia and he only cursed the fact that it gained in popularity, due to overcrowding. Though that wasn’t an issue, he had made them a reservation.

“Evening, I have a reservation,” he said to the hostess.

“Hey Mard! Come on in, got your usual table for you,” she said her voice bright.

“You’re a regular?” Lucy asked.

“Yes, twice a week, like clockwork,” he replied as he navigated through the rustic looking dining room. Mimi’s was a small place with light wood tables, booths padded in navy leather and obscure artwork from all over Ishgar. The place was eclectic in it’s design but the menu was a cultivated adventure in Sevenese fare. Unusual delicacies for reasonable prices and not overly seasoned to become too powerful on the nose. It was a good balance and a difficult one to master, subtle but rich and not bland.

They took their seats, “bottle of the house cab to start and two waters, thank you.” He said before looking at a wide-eyed Lucy, “I hope you like reds.”

She chuckled, “I do, though now you’ve compromised my menu selections.”

“Fair point, though you should try the aged ribeye,” replied Mard, knowing full well that her grocery bags were filled with various steaks, poultry and game meats.

They ordered their meals when the wine was poured and Mard held up his glass, “welcome to Magnolia.”

“Thank you,” she chimed his glass against his. At some point in the last minute, she placed her hand on his and it hadn’t moved since. This was going rather well and he enjoyed the warmth of her hand over his slightly cooler one.

“After this I thought I would show you my mother’s farm and my adjoining gardens. The game trails and woods would be of particular interest to you, in preparation of the full moon.”

Her eyes sparkled as she gave him a smile, “that’s perfect. I was planning on doing that tonight…. well...before…”

He nodded in understanding and turned his hand over to wrap it around her thin fingers. “While we wait for food, please tell me more about you.”

Another blush graced her cheeks as she tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. “Okay, hmmmm, where to start….”

Dinner took a couple hours but most of that was lively and intelligent conversation. His little rosebud was certainly lively and Mard had not been so enchanted with talking to another person in many years. She had a generous laugh and gift for storytelling, he could see why she would want to write.

He took the bill and noticed the questioning look on her face, he didn’t need to read her mind to understand her problem. As an Alpha in her own right, him paying for her would be treating her like a Beta, which was ill mannered. However, his sense of politeness and old advice from his father made this a difficult moment.

“Apologies, I am quite old fashioned, it is no disrespect to your abilities to be a leader,” he said and noticed how she gave him a soft smile.

“Thanks, can I at least leave the tip?” she asked before she nibbled on her plump bottom lip. Mard nodded in acquiescence to her request.

“That would be fair, fifteen Jewel would handle it.” She dug into her little purse as he grabbed his wallet. They settled the check and exited the restaurant, it wasn’t lost on him that they were holding hands again. He very much enjoyed touching her warm, soft skin and wondered how she would taste.

How would she look wearing his fang marks?

Mard internally shuddered, he never had that thought before. Never thought of giving someone, anyone, his mark. For his society marking your partner was an outward symbol of commitment. That the person was your personal haven of blood and being. His mother had marked his father and he had given her a ring, per human wedding customs.

“Hello,” she teased as she snapped her fingers, jarring him out of his thoughts.

“Just thinking, Rosebud,” he said.

She giggled, “Rosebud?”

“I have decided I like thinking of you as a little rosebud.”

“How so?”

Mard stopped at the corner and looked at her under the dim street light. With great care he pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and noticed how she tilted her head just a bit into his touch. “Your cheeks take on the perfect shade of pink, you have a small form but inside is the heart of the rose. A generous blossom ready to open to the world and delight it with every petal of its being.”

It was quick, and he couldn’t pull back in time as she got on her toes and kissed him. The kiss was light but enough to give him immense pleasure from the small contact. It was over too soon and he saw that signature flush of hers grace her cheeks.

“That was the sweetest thing anyone ever said, thank you,” she said, looking at the ground before her eyes met his again. He could see the bit of moisture gathered at the outer corners and he cupped her cheek before drawing her into a deeper kiss.

People whistled at the display but Mard paid no attention not when she nipped his bottom lip. The small bite enough to electrify his nerve endings causing his brain to short circuit as she invaded his mouth with her tongue. Rosebud was most certainly in bloom as he tasted the wine on her and enjoyed the warmth of her against him.

Mard had to stop his hands from ripping apart the little dress, wanting to feel more than the naked skin of her back. He settled them on her waist as she held onto the collar of his shirt and held him tight to her. The scent of her arousal was getting stronger making his head swim as was how she was determined to bring him to heel with her kiss.

She pulled back and he looked at her kiss swollen lips and wild eyes. A soft nervous chuckle escaped her, “I-I don’t know what came over me. D-did I offend you?”

He blinked, “I would be more offended if you did not enjoy that as much as I did.”

“Oh, I did,” she said.

“Good, because I plan on kissing you again, but I think you will need to catch me first,” he said with a wink before he turned in the direction of his mother’s farm and took off. He could hear her growl for a moment before she let out a peal of laughter and he knew she was following him.

* * *

 

Lucy had sat through the whole dinner in a state of trying to reign in her inner wolf. Every glance he gave her, the smooth sound of his voice, his scent and his mind had her desperate to rip off his clothes and take him mercilessly. That hadn’t happened to her, ever.

Not that she was a shrinking violet around sex or anything, she just never wanted someone so badly. Her wolf never wanted someone that badly and for Lucy that could be a very good thing. To think she could find someone who had both her human and wolf sides soothed and excited with just a glance over candle light.

Mard also understood her, he let her pay for the tip despite his upbringing because not let her do something would have hurt her Alpha nature. He also encouraged her to chase him, letting her treat him like both prey and playmate. Goddess above she bet he also liked to hunt and that would be wonderful to go on long hunting trips, enjoying nature and making love under the stars.

Lucy watched his movements, noticing that he was keeping a pace that was just outside her reach but close enough to keep her going. He moved with grace, jumping over trashcans and turning down random side streets to not hurt people but then he cheated and jumped to a roof. She saw the fire escape and though she couldn’t clear two stories in a jump, she could get up there in two jumps.

Her muscles were warm as she vaulted off the ground, she grabbed the railing and swung herself over it before she looked up and saw him staring over the side down at her.

“Best hurry Rosebud,” he blew her a kiss and she let out a low guttural growl.

Lucy ran up the stairs and as she came to the top, Mard was standing on the other side of the roof. He gave her a little wave before he jumped to the next rooftop and she followed after him. She was so impressed with his speed and agility, it made him better than any deer or anyone she had ever chased before.

The leap to the next building was easy but she didn’t see Mard anywhere, she sniffed the air and caught his scent. Following a scent that was uniquely Mard, coffee, roses, and his own arousal she tracked him to the west. At this point, he was making this a full game for her and Lucy had never been happier.

A beautiful meal and now a game of hunter/prey this was the perfect first night in her new town. As she jumped down from the building, landing on top of a closed garbage bin, she thought about what Gray told her about Mard. That he could rock her world if she let him and if this bit of sport was any indication of what he was like in the bedroom, her world was totally rocked.

It took a couple moments to regain his scent over the garbage under her and the scent of river close by. She opened her ears and listened, but all she could hear was the running river and some people arguing about bills. Lucy pursed her lips and went towards where she was certain hsi scent was the strongest.

She came out of the alley and was grabbed, her back pressed against the rough brick building. Soft lips came down upon hers and she easily recognized the feel of them, which stopped her from attacking Mard. His body was amazing to feel against her heated one, Mard was slightly cooler than normal but that didn’t stop her from feeling as if she was going to overheat and pass out.

This time he took the lead on their kiss, and Lucy let him, enjoying how he passionate the dhampire was with her. It was not be missed as a very generous erection pressed against her, as his hands held on to her hips. She grabbed his ass, slipping her hands into the back pockets, and enjoyed how firm it was. Her knees were ready to buckle when he pulled back, but his hands had kept her from falling down.

“I know the garbage and the river was cheating,” he gave her a sly smile.

Lucy hit the wall with the back of her head as she laughed, “just a bit.”

“We can walk the rest of the way, no point in wearing you out early in the night.”

She arched an eyebrow, “what makes you think I’m the one who would be worn out?”

Mard chuckled darkly as he ghosted his lips over her ear, “because I can play with you for days before I need to rest.” Lucy gulped at the meaning of his words and just how husky his voice had gotten.

She looked at him and wrapped her arms around his neck, “is that a threat or a promise?”

“Both,” that simple reply had officially cause a torrent of wetness to flood her panties and drown those damn villages hiding in there. It left her without words but instead she let out a soft whimper, it was almost embarrassing to her own wolf ears.

He placed a kiss to her cheek before taking a step back and she let go of his neck. Mard stared at her, his eyes had a soft shimmer to them as he licked his lips, the site driving her libido wild. “Do not tease Rosebud, little erotic sounds like that only make me want you more.”

She was teasing him? Was he out of his damn mind? She was the one with a damp rag between her legs. It was her heart that was racing and her mind playing horrible tricks on her by picturing him naked. Lucy let out a little growl, “you’re the tease,” she took a step towards him, “do you have any idea what you have done to my panties?”

Mard sniffed the air and grinned, “yes, though I can assure you I am in a bit of pain right now.” He waved his hand in front of the significant bulge in his pants and Lucy unconsciously licked her lips at the view.

Another growl came out of her before she threw her head back and howled. She could hear Mard take off as he invited her to come catch him again and end their tension. Her head snapped forward and she left out a bit more of her inner wolf.

Lucy couldn’t do a full change till the full moon, but she could let out some of her abilities. Enough to give Mard the shock of his pseudo life when her speed, agility and senses had all but tripled their normal strength. Now tracking and catching him would be easier but somewhere inside of herself she knew he had been holding back.

This was a game and holy shit Gray was right Mard was fun as fuck to stalk but the chase was perfection. She followed his scent, barely able to see him as they ran along the river before he turned sharply towards it and in one of his jumps, landed on the other side. Lucy followed him and as she practically flew, she noticed how he smirked at her before turning to run away.

That one little look confirmed it for her, he was holding back but now, she was certain he was no longer doing as such. Out here away from the town, people, garbage and other things, tracking him was easier, even if the moon was hiding behind the clouds. The further away they got the darker it was and she had to heavily rely on her sense of smell and hearing to navigate the area.

However, this could work for her advantage, a little game of possum might be fun. Lucy shouted, “oh fuck!” as she dropped to the ground in a crouch, hiding amidst the tall grass. She heard Mard call back for her and she let out a fake whimper as she tracked the sounds and scent of him.

“Rosebud!” he called out and she knew he was only a few feet, it was enough, and she jumped up, tackling the dhampire to the ground.

Lucy kissed him as he laughed against her lips and her hands were busy trying to pull his shirt up and off him.

“Cheater,” he said, and Lucy shrugged, her only focus was on getting him naked.

Mard sat up, letting her remove the shirt from him, she couldn’t see the details of his bared chest, but she could trace the definition with her fingers tips. He sucked in a breath as her finger grazed over a nipple, making it pebble under her touch. Lucy leaned in and kissed him, while letting her hands roam all over his smooth skin.

_Goddess above he’s perfection_ , she thought to herself as she rolled her hips, feeling his erection under her and trapped in denim. Those pants were quickly becoming the bane of her existence as his hands cupped her ass, holding her still.

She trailed kisses down the column of his throat as he played with her scarf, Lucy stopped and covered his hand with hers, looking into his confused face. “Please don’t.”

He blinked and shook his head, “let me see, I want to see all of you.”

“I-it’s…” she stuttered. The scars were hideous, and she was always self-conscious them. She didn’t want him to see the angry jagged marks down her neck and ending above her heart. Didn’t want him to know that once she was weak and viciously attacked on her way home.

He took her hands and pressed them against his chest, “trust me to look at you.”

Lucy shivered as a tear fell out of her eye, she wanted to trust him. He whispered again for her to trust him as he gripped the scarf with his teeth and began to lean back. The silk rubbed against her neck as it started to uncoil and with each little bit his eyes stayed on hers. They shimmered in a bit in a red glow, it was sexy to see the look of hunger as she was soon to show him her marred skin.

Mard pulled off the scarf and undid the clasp at the neck for her dress, letting the material fall, barely covering her breasts. He sighed and kissed her neck, right where the scars were and she shook as she ran her finger through his hair.

“These are marks of a survivor, a fighter, a strong woman who became what she is despite where she came from. They are beautiful, they are you.” he said and Lucy began to cry as he nuzzled her neck.

No one would ever say such things to her, it was as if he was reading her soul and saying all the right things to put the little pieces back together. His mouth trailed over the middle one, and as he came to the juncture where the neck met the shoulder she felt it. It was sharp, quick, a flash of pain before her body began to fill with ecstasy. Mard hummed and she gasped as she felt him drink from her, the feeling intoxicating and she completely alive.

The moon peaked out from the clouds, casting a soft orange glow over them as Lucy looked up at it. She silently thanked the great mother as she started to moan, feeling her body really to orgasm. Her hips moved in quick pulses against him as she fought with his belt, wanting to free his cock and ride it.

“O-Oh...nnngh...oh god…” she moaned as the pressure of his bite increased and, in her movements, managed to roll just right over her clit.

She felt high as the adrenaline came of her and Mard held her close, growling into her neck as he began to lick the punctures. Lucy’s head rolled back as her eyes closed and she shouted his name as she came all over her panties. Her body shook as he held her, every last inch of her was a tingling mess of desire as her orgasm washed through her like a tsunami. It was the most powerful one she ever had and holy shit, Gray wasn’t kidding about letting him bite her anywhere.

Their eyes met as he licked his bottom lip and Lucy grabbed his face before kissing him deeply. She didn’t care if she could taste her own blood, not as she was pushing him back onto the cold ground. It was a mess of limbs, fingers and eventually the sound of material ripping filled her ears as they kissed. Their lips never parted, their tongues didn’t stop gliding against each other as she managed to push his pants down to mid-thigh and he tossed her destroyed panties somewhere.

Lucy rocked over his length and they released their kiss both to let out a lurid sound of appreciation for the fresh contact. He was thick and long, almost making her pause but she could stop herself from her movements.

“R-Rosebud, please, take me,” he said as he turned his head to the side, barring his neck in submission. She let out a howl to the moon as she came up on her knees and tried to angle herself to take him. Mard grabbed himself and helped, letting her control as much as possible.

Her claws dug into his shoulders as he filled her, the stretch and burn of her channel fluttering to accept all of him. It must have a lot longer than she thought since the last time she had sex and never like this. No, no other man or wolf she had been with willingly gave themselves to her, submitted to her and let her take what she wanted.

He did and Mard was so different from anyone, the type of guy you find once in your lifetime and never let go. This is it, he must be the one, her mate, the other half of her soul, the person she would be with for the rest of her long life.

Lucy rolled her hips when she adjusted to his girth inside of her, she sat up for a moment, adjusting her legs to plant her heels into the ground alongside his hips. She pressed against his chest to steady herself a bit before she began to move, rising and slowly sliding down. Mard moaned and withered under her, his hips coming up to meet her downward thrust. Oh, the man could power bottom, this was going to be even better.

It was a frenzy as she slammed herself on him over and over again, sweat trickling down her sides as she watched Mard under her. His eyes met hers and she snarled at him, he whimpered as her claws dug into his chest and her speed increased.

“I-I’m your Alpha,” she said as her body burned and another orgasm was quickly on her.

“Y-yes, mine,” he said, the word mine punctuated so clearly, there was no doubt in his submission or acceptance of her. She could smell a tinge of blood coming from where her claws broke skin and it only increased the desire.

His back arched as he shouted her name to the sky and she felt him thrash under her as his dick pulsed in release. It was her undoing to feel him, to see him like this, shaking, moaning, his hair fanned out all over the ground like as his face tensed for a moment before it relaxed. She howled again, the howl longer and deeper than she ever heard herself howl as she released all over him.

She stopped her movements, coming down on him as she shivered in her delight. Small rolls of her hips let her ride out and milk her orgasm as she clutched his slowly softening length inside of her. Lucy thought she could touch Heaven with how high she felt but slowly came back to Earth as the euphoria drained from her body.

Lucy fell forward on him and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her to his chest. She was taking in big gulps of air as he held her and was still joined with her. This was the very definition of wild, in her mind, primal and ancient she took her dhampire freely in nature, as Goddess intended.

He kissed the top of her head and let out a soft sigh, “Rosebud, that was….”

“Hmmmm, yeah,” she said her voice breathy as she tried to move to look at him.

“Indeed,” he chuckled before shifting them, so he could spoon her in the field.

Lucy laid there, her head on his bicep as his frame wrapped around her, she had never felt so perfect and content in her life. She didn’t even care when she picked up on new scent before she felt a large blanket being draped over her.

“Thank you, mother,” Mard said and Lucy’s eyes widened. His mother? This was how she was going to meet his mother.

“I brought extra clothes, come get a bite to eat when you’re done. Nice to meet you Rosebud,” she said, her voice soft and light.

“Lucy, please, call me Lucy,” she managed to say, too scared to look at the woman out of her own embarrassment.

“I’ll just call you daughter,” she said, and Lucy blinked and was ready to say something but she head the rustling of grass and the scent became more faint.

She ran her hand over her face as Mard held her tight. He just didn’t seem the least bit phased by this. “That was not how I wanted to meet you mother.”

“Well then you should not have claimed me within two hundred feet of her porch,” Mard chuckled.

Lucy rolled over and looked at him, he was heavily amused by this and though she was bright red as he laughed, she couldn’t help but join him. “One hell of a story for our puppies,” she quipped.

Mard’s gaze met her as he tilted her head up to look at him, “it will be. Whatever my Alpha wishes.” Lucy grinned, she really liked the sound of that.

* * *

 

_Two Years later...._

* * *

 

Mard held on to her hand as Lucy bore down again, she grunted along with the motion. “I hate you,” she snarled and Mard laughed as he kissed her sweat soaked hair.

“One more push Mrs. Tartaros,” the doctor said and Mard loved hearing his Rosebud being called that.

“F-fuck, get it out!” she snapped and gripped his hand with enough to strength to cause some damage. Mard could heal that later.

“It’s a girl!” the doctor shouted as she dumped a squalling baby covered in various fluids on Rosebud’s lap. The effect was instant as she went from crying to delighted.

“Mard… she’s...ohmuhgawd,” she said and Mard stared at his daughter with wonder as a single tear came out of his eyes.

“Love you Rosebud,” he said as a nurse picked up the baby to clean her up and do the checks. He watched the room for a second before looking back at his little wolf.

“Love you too,” she kissed him lightly, “you should let the others know.”

“With that scream, I am certain our entire family knows that Scimitar Layla Tartaros is born,’ he chuckled.

The last couple years and now the birth of his daughter was everything Mard ever wanted. The Council, thanks to his mother and Gray, had granted them permission for a legal mating. Though it was already too late, their first time in the field he had left her marked and she had claimed him as her Beta. His mother was the first to know as they joined her for late evening coffee and she noticed the changes in them. She could not have been happier and for the first time since father died, Mavis smiled with real warmth and love.

They had a bit of a transition period, adapting to each other and dealing with their own races and their stupidity. Though Gray and Corvus had thrown one hell of a party to celebrate Mard now being considered pack. Which Rosebud loves to remind him about the stripping that may have happened once he was solidly inebriated.

Then she became pregnant and everything else slid into place. As the nurse put his daughter into his arms his mate had nodded to him and he rushed out of the room to go show everyone his little Spawnling.

“Baby!” Mira shouted as she was the first to rush up to him. Mard side stepped her and carefully handed his daughter to his mother. She began to cry and smile as she held the infant and his brother was quick to hug him.

“She looks just like you Mard,” Mavis said.

“Poor thing,” Gray quipped as he came over and sniffed the baby. “May I have the honor?” he asked and Mard nodded.

Gray pulled back the blanket and took her little hand, he placed it in his mouth before he gave her a bite. Scimitar screamed as the entire pack howled, him included and he could hear his mate from the other room. Their baby was officially part of the pack and as Corvus hugged him, Mard could only smile.

This was family, it was wild, crazy, not defined by biology or birthright, a collection of people who just loved each other.

* * *

 

Happy New Year! I hope you enjoyed this first MardLu Week story. 

Comments, kudos and bookmark!

 


	4. Grudge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It took months for Mard Geer to come out of stone, but now that he has, he has a score to settle with the Celestial Summoner who sent his rival after him. As he finds her, she was not what he expected, she was beyond anyone he had ever met. Somehow while succumbing to human vices, they find out about an ancient power and how it would reshape his entire world.
> 
> Lucy was slowly descending the spiral of addiction and self loathing when an enemy became her savior. In two short days her entire world changed, lifting from the darkness and set on a course towards life, love and a future that was brighter than anything she ever pictured.
> 
> This story is the start of a new multi chapter fic called Bound to Her.

Mard was not certain how long he had been trapped in the stone but as he looked around him, it was quite a while. His Cube was a pile of rubble and Plutogrim had been picked clean, leaving bone fragments bleached by the sun. The demon sniffed the air and could not detect any signs of lingering demons or his minions. Gone, all of Tartaros was simply gone.

His body was stiff as he stretched, though he noticed that the Book of E.N.D. was missing from his grasp. Mard snarled and swore in Infernai as he looked around at the ground, hoping to find it. Why didn’t it turn to stone with him, his clothing had but not the book? This annoyed him, that book was part of his master plan, a plan ruined by a Celestial summoner.

How dare such a lowly creature release his old nemesis upon him? Human mages were inferior beings, he should never have lost to one. Just where was this powerful being who summon the Celestial Spirit King? 

Mard took a moment to sit on the ground, he closed his eyes and traced back to the final fight before he was petrified. It was the last memory he had as he was trapped in his stone prison. The strength of that attack was based on the Summoner, not the King and part of Mard had to appreciate such a power. Would be better if he was in control of it. Though that would be impossible, as his kind and Celestials did not get along.

The flashes of the fight went through his mind, he concentrated on the sounds and scents of the area. Looking for anything in his memory to help him figure out who had done this. All he needed was one small clue and his perfect mind could sort out the details. He would track down this person, destroy them and the keys, allowing him to freely finish his plan. 

Destroy human magic and then destroy Zeref. 

In the memory right before he finished turning to stone he caught a scent. Stardust and some kind of berry, the mixture would be easy to track. He rose to standing and making his way he climbed to the top of the destroyed Cube. Mard gauged the scenery around him and off in the distance saw a faint glow. There, a human city, he could start the search there. Time would not be against him, at worse case the summoner would be dead by the time he found it.

Though he would not get the revenge he sought, crushing the life out of this person with his own hands. Running his thorns through their body to extinguish their life, personally. Mard Geer was feeling quite a bit of rage, a newer emotion for him.

All emotions were new to him, but right before the spell completed he felt his first one. Now that he was free again, more of them entered his mind, especially ecstasy, the pleasure he would derive from destroying this person had brought a quirk to his lips.

As Mard ran towards the human city he pictured meeting this summoner. Could be male or female, he had no idea but he bet it would be a horrible waste of flesh. Humans never really peaked his interest, finding them dull in comparison to the perfection of his being. Though they had uses, test subjects being a primary one or even a temporary distraction in the comfort of his torture chamber.

The Playground, next to his personal library he hated the loss of those rooms. It was all taken away from him, everything that was Tartaros was destroyed. The rage in his gut had added fuel to his speed as he ran through the rocky terrain, the city lights growing brighter with each passing second.

He thought about different ways to torture this person, make them suffer physically and mentally, as he had done. Watch their world crumble around them and all the grand plans of their life slowly be killed. Lock them away and let them know what it was like to wake back into the world to everything that was yours be destroyed. 

He could relish in this, take his time, draw out it’s screams and pleas for death. Make agony a way of life, until he was satisfied that it had suffered enough. Enough being a relative term, enough for him to feel the pleasure of their demise. 

Ah pleasure, it had been how long? 

Long enough and he felt the smile on his face widened as he pictured a weak, ugly human struggling against his pain. A laugh escaped him as he ran the noises and scents of the city wrapping around him. He stopped at the edge of the town and breathed in the air, there was much to sift through and he would need to stay in the shadows.

Mard walked along the dim sidewalk, ignoring the debris of human waste, the sounds of people shouting over something called Jewel, a question if he’d like to have a good time and other questionable things. He did not understand humans, they lived like rats on two legs and were just as equally useless in the grand scheme of things. 

Another sniff of the air and he caught the scent he was searching for and his eyes widened. He breathed it in deep, part of his mind enjoying the fragrance and another despising it. This was the Summoner’s scent, his enemy and the object of his pain. Why was it strangely pleasing, perhaps because soon he would start his revenge on it. 

The King of the Underworld tracked the scent to a place called of all things, The Playground. Life, did seem to have it’s sense of humor and as he listened he heard loud obnoxious noises, music he thought the humans called it. Flashing colorful lights assaulted his eyes as he walked down the stairs to this den of inequity.

A cloud of smoke caught his attention, truly these people were the dregs of society. Someone put a hand on him and Mard turned, snapping the person’s neck without a care. He looked around, there was no one else nearby and he pulled on the red padded door to allow himself entry.

The underground place was quite loud and filled with people who insulted his very presence with their stench and small minds. On the stage was the source of the horrendous noise, some kind of troupe of musicians abusing the instruments in their hands. A thin pale man held a stick as he sang about angels dying in the arms of demons. On second thought he kind of appreciated the lyrics, though he could research human music later, he kept his focus on trying to find the summoner.

Mard worked his way through the crowd, when he collided into a couple rubbing against each other. Though it was unmistakable, in front of him was the destroyer of his world and she was not what he expected.

She was a petite woman with long blonde hair, a shapely figure covered in small scraps of clothing. A black skirt that barely covered her shapely ass, tall leather silver boots that went to mid thigh and just a string across her back. He opened his telepathy and listened.

_ Oh yeah, so wanna fuck this one. Fuck, Lucy you’re high. Shit did I bring my keys? No wait, at home.  _

The towering unwashed male grabbed her ass and Mard watched how she jumped up and wrapped those legs around him before carrying on in her gyrations. He looked at the male and listened.

_ Oh yeah, little drug is working nicely. Cannot wait to take this one, she’s going to be a beautiful doll when I kill her. _

_ Kill her? _ That would not do and so Mard Geer had no choice but to save the Summoner from this homicidal madman. He summoned his thorns quietly, letting them rip through the ground and coil around the man’s neck as he grabbed Lucy by the waist and pulled her off of him.

She kicked and squirmed in the air before he set her on the ground and spun her around to look at him. Her eyes were large, tinted in red and glossy, though he admired the beautiful coffee color of what he could see of her iris. Mard didn’t want her gaze anywhere but on him and pulled her close to him. He had to make a quick calculation on how to dance like a human and began to sway to the music.

“Hi! I’m Lucy,” she purred as her body pressed against his. It felt good, which was strange to him. He should not be enjoying the feel of this little vixen so easily but there was something about her, even if she was heavily poisoned.

He could smell the toxic chemicals wafting off of her as they moved, he slowly trying to guide her out of the club before someone noticed the two dead men. 

“W-who are you?” she asked, her speech a bit slurred.

“Mard Geer,” he replied and she purred, almost quite literally.

“Like your voice, and wow your hair, let’s do shots!” she said as she wiggled out of his grasp. Mard had no idea what a shot was but he had to get her out of here so he could sort out what was going on. 

_Another shot and fuck am I coming down from my high? Ugh, no, I just can’t think, can’t feel._ _No._ She sniffled as she leaned over the bar and shouted over the music for two shots. 

Mard arched a brow, if he understood this correctly, Lucy was already trying to run from her own emotions. That would not do, she was already miserable. How could he torture her if she was torturing herself? This was going to require a new strategy, as he looked at her she put something small and cold in his hand. 

She held up a similar glass and winked at him before she tipped her head back and drank it all. Mard was a bit dumbfounded as he watched her move, watching her throat work and the lift in her heavy breasts covered with tiny triangles. He felt his dick twitch inside of his pants and glared down at himself in disgust. He was finding her sexually attractive?

Lucy glanced at him and Mard drank this shot, the liquid was cold but then it burned as it went down his throat. The taste was unusual and he wasn’t certain if he liked it, then again he wasn’t accustomed to human substances. She grabbed the empty glass form him and handed him another one, Mard looked at her and she smiled at him before downing it.

This little ritual happened a couple more times and Mard found his thoughts becoming a bit cloudy as he was dragged out to the mess of moving bodies. That would not do and as Lucy moved her pert butt against what now was a fully formed erection, he pushed her hair back. He pressed his lips near her ear, as his hands rested on her waist before skimming up to cup her breasts. She let out some kind of soft erotic sound and he found himself moving with her, just for a moment. 

Someone shouted and he found his spell broken as he took her hand and lead her through the fast exiting crowd. She tripped and almost fell but he grabbed her, cradling her in his arms as he forced them through the crowd, parting humans as if they were ragdolls. The cooler and slightly cleaner air hit him as they burst through the door.

Mard looked up and jumped, causing the mage in his arms to let out a stunned shriek. They landed on the roof and he hopped across several more before stopping. He put her down and she wobbled before her back hit a brick wall and she began to giggle.

“Woot! That was fun! Do it again Mardger,” she said as she laughed.

He rolled his eyes, his name butchered was inelegant and a gust of wind hit him, causing the world to spin a little. Mard was feeling a bit tipsy as he pressed a hand next to her hand to steady himself. “Mard Geer,” he corrected.

“R-right,” she slurred winking at him, “fuck you’re hawt, wanna fuck?” She asked and Mard smirked at her, surely she wasn’t talking about cloitus. Lucy grabbed his jacket and pulled him against her, his lips suddenly on hers.

From the way she slid her tongue into his mouth and grabbed the bulge in his pants, she was most certainly thinking of having relations with him. Mard listened to her mind again, just to make sure, after all even demons had limits as to things they were willing to do. 

_ Jackpot, holy shit he’s hawt and the size of his dick, bet that leaves me sore for days. Fuck I’m horny, goddess above I want to ride that face. Why does he seem familiar? _

Mard kept kissing her, he couldn’t get a control on himself to say no. She tasted sweet despite a bit of some kind of metallic aftertaste from the toxins in her body. His hand reached under her skirt as she undid his belt and he realized that there was nothing under the material. In fact she was wet, primed and beautifully smooth, soft warm wet skin and he let his fingers explore her as her body moved.

Their kissing turned frantic as Mard started to feel more of a rush through him, his mind even more cloudy with each passing second. His pants pooled at his feet as he lifted Lucy up and pushed her against the wall, his leaking cock resting between them being covered in her juices. 

“Come on big boy, fuck me,” she said and Mard had never heard such a luried command out of a woman. Perhaps it was whatever he had ingested but he found this Summoner, his enemy to be exquisite and the dirty talk had the desired effect.

It had been a while since he had done this and certainly not outside in the open against a wall. Mard needed a couple tries before he managed to find her opening and he pushed himself in. She was tight, hot, slick, beautiful muscles wrapped around his dick and his eyes rolled up to feel her. He never would have suspected that something so lowly as a human could feel like fucking Heaven itself. 

Here she was, the woman he was planning to have his revenge on and he was busy suckling on her neck while his hips snapped into her. Each thrust she mewled into the air as she held onto his shoulders. Mard paused for a moment to adjust her on him, snaking his arms under her legs to push them wider apart to feel her deeper. To make her scream and hear more of the erotic sounds from her, he wanted to feel every bit of this. Wanted to enjoy this bit of pleasure with her, he was certain it was whatever the human had given him to drink that was causing this.

“H-harder, oh stars!” she called and Mard held a sardonic smile on his face before he bit her neck and she shrieked, pulling his hair as he pistoned into her.

He could smell a bit of blood from her as she cried and moaned with each movement. This was ecstacy, pure basic human wanton ecstacy and somehow Mard Geer was enjoying this. Enjoying each ripple of her channel, the way she lured him into another kiss and how she could tighten around him as the end of each thrust. They moved as one, him giving everything inside of him to her and her body taking him, demanding more.

“L-Lucy...nnngh….” he grunted as his balls drew up and he felt the first stirrings of his release. She bit his neck and screamed as her channel tightened so violently around his dick he pressed harder into her. His orgasm hit as waves of euphoria washed over him, it was a feeling he had never experienced but was determined to feel again. 

She was breathing hard when she let go of biting his neck as Mard softly thrusted into her, coming down from his high and pushing every last bit of his essence into her. 

Their eyes met, her’s were still quite glossy and a bit red. She nibbled her plump bottom lip, “come home, do me again.” 

Mard blinked and found himself nodding, “indeed.”

* * *

 

Lucy woke up the next morning, feeling the raging headache as her brain protested the sunlight in the room. For fuck’s sake how much did she drink last night?

She felt a body shift next to her and her eyes went wide as she saw a mess of purple hair fanned all over her pillows. He turned to her, a heavy arm coiled around her as he drew her close to him. Lucy was frozen, she didn’t remember bringing someone home but based on how sticky and sore she felt from the waist down she had one hell of a night. Okay she needed her wits together, get…

She looked up at his sleeping face and holy shit was he beautiful to look at. Angled nose, high cheekbones and plush lips, his skin was pale and his torso was beautifully chiseled, not too much and definitely not too little. His hard-on pushed against her thigh and she could not believe the sheer size of that, no wonder she was hurting.

How the hell did she find herself a male model to fuck and why couldn’t she remember any of it?

She was at “The Playground” looking for a quick high, free drinks and an easy fuck. From the cotton in her mouth, her brain trying to rip apart in pain and the guy next to her, she certainly achieved her goals. Lucy was glad she didn’t have work today but if news broke out she would have to go and cover it or otherwise she wouldn’t be getting her rent on time.

Her brain hurt and she really had to pee, taking a moment she wiggled out of her bed and crashed on the floor. He companion sat up abruptly and looked around the room. She chuckled nervously, “have to pee.” she said as she crawled across the floor to the bathroom. The room was a spinning mess as she made it to the toilet and promptly vomited.

After Lucy emptied her stomach, her bladder and brushed her teeth, she came back into the bedroom with a robe wrapped around her. Her mystery man was sitting up and reading the manuscript she left on the nightstand.

“Hey!” she screamed as she shuffled over and grabbed the papers from him. “That’s personal.”

“Then why leave it out?” he asked and she blinked, damn his voice was a smooth baritone. 

“Why are you still here?” she asked. Not that she wanted to kick him out, cause dear Goddess look at him but she had too. She had done it again, turned into a party girl all to forget the hole in her chest.

“You told me to stay, so I am staying, Lucy.”

She blinked and sat at the edge of the bed, “well that was last night, it’s morning, you should leave.”

“You told me that this morning as the sun came up and you were on my face. Your words were I better stay because you were not living without my cock.” He had a smirk on his face as she face palmed. 

That did sound like something she would say, but holy shit did he have to take her literally? It would help if she could remember but right now all she had were little fragments that started flashing through her mind. Being in his arms as he fucked her on a rooftop, her stopping to blow him on the stairs up to her apartment, throwing popcorn and him between her legs on the couch. A sharp pain hit her head and she reached into the drawer on the nightstand for her aspirin. 

“Look, whatever your name is…”

“Mard Geer, how do you not remember shouting it?” he asked, the satisfied smirk on his face was making her even more nauseous. This guy was pretty much a dick, and at the thought she looked down at the tent under her sheet. She flushed, trying damn hard to not think about riding him reverse cowgirl.

He leaned forward and tapped her nose, “we did not try that position.”

Lucy was stunned as she backed away and fell off the bed again. She scooted backwards against the floor, the mess of clothes piling around her. There she saw a large black and white jacket, she picked it up and looked at it. It looked familiar the collar and swirls along the arms, where had she seen this before?

It hit her suddenly and she began to shake, the statue. The statue of the leader of Tartaros, the one she lost Aquarius for. She remembered staring at it, thinking it was a waste that something so evil could be beautiful. Lucy knew she would never forget his face but apparently she could, all in the name of sex. “No...no...no…”

“You said that too last night, along with calling for god and chanting my name.”

“You...you….oh my god…” she covered her mouth but it was too late as she felt the bile rise out of her empty stomach all over his jacket. 

He groaned as he got out of the bed, and took the jacket from her. He had a disgusted look on his face as he held the puke covered object. “I expect you to clean this, that was rude.”

“Get out!” she shouted as she tried to move away from him.

“No, you told me to stay,” he set down the jacket and moved too quickly as he grabbed her. Lucy tried to scream but he covered her mouth with his hand and carried her into the bathroom. He climbed into the bathtub with her and started the shower, the cold water hit her and she shrieked trying to fight him.

Her enemy held her and she was losing this fight, physically incapable of getting out of his grip as the water started to warm up. She thought to call for Virgo or Leo, she didn’t need her keys for them but her brain was such a cluster she couldn’t concentrate. Instead she was trapped here, stuck in a shower being held by a naked demon man thing. 

Lucy gave up and found herself on the verge of tears as he held her and tore apart her soaked silk robe. What if he was going to rape her?

“No, even I have limits, Lucy. Like it or not you made a contract with me last night, I do not care if you were drunk or high. It is a done deal, now I have to get this stench off of you and coffee.”

Coffee? He wanted coffee and Lucy had no idea what to do with that bit of information but laugh. Oh fuck she was losing her mind as the man she gave up a part of her soul to destroy was asking her if he used the pink or the white bottle to wash her skin.

Lucy was fuzzy as hell as the demon helped her clean up and she tried to not admit that she may have liked the shower a little, especially the way his hands felt all over her body. What the hell did she get into? This was the monster that tried to kill her nakama and who costed her everything in her life. Fairy Tail was gone and everyone left her, no one loved her and she had given up her most precious key and spirit. Even if the mermaid was a cranky bitch.

“Lucy,” he said her name like a command and she snapped her attention to him. He was dripping water, his dark indigo hair plastered to his skull and she followed one water droplet as it flowed between his pecs and down his abs towards his member. Another flash from last night and she saw him on the stairs, his head back as he moaned while she was suckling on his cock, drinking down his release. For a second she could still recall the taste, salty and heady, almost hypnotic.

She felt his fingers under her chin and her gaze was fixed on his coal black eyes. “Snap out of it, now coffee and my jacket needs washing.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” she was incredulous, how dare he go from being nice to being demanding. What the hell kind of contract did she sign or make or what the hell?

“Underworld, not Hell, there is a difference. Again, I am Mard Geer Tartaros, the Definitive Demon, King of the Underworld and ex-leader of Tartaros. Do you have any more inane questions?”

“Where’s the contract, we supposedly have?” she asked and Mard handed her a towel as he wrapped one around his thin hips.

He left the bathroom for a moment before coming back in with several sheets of paper. Lucy wrapped the towel around her and sat on the toilet seat as she read the immaculate handwriting and little notes added by her own hand. “I was reviewing it this morning because I did not remember all of our terms. Apparently thanks to your petrification of me, human vices now affect me.”

“Come again?” she asked as she watched him. He leaned against the wall crossing his arms and letting out a heavy breath.

“You had me drink with you, at the club and here, then you gave me brownie which was when my own memories and mental faculties became compromised.” 

Her eyes went wide at his admission, and she looked at the pages in her shaking hand. A scene hit her mind and she saw herself sitting at the coffee table next to a naked Mard as they drank another shot. He was laughing while they were holding pens and Lucy was squealing about how this is like a movie she saw once called “The Contract”.

She groaned at the thought and looked over at Mard, he looked to be lost in thought at the situation but admittedly he was doing better than her. That could just be an act, she didn’t know. Lucy refocused on the piece of paper.

This contract will bind the Definitive Demon, Mard Geer Tartaros and Lucy Isabel Heartfilia in a contract of their own choosing.

  1. Mard Geer and Lucy will hold no grudges nor take any action directly or indirectly to get revenge on the other. _Yeah no being a meanie, sorry about turning you to stone!_
  2. Lucy will provide a cute little home, coffee and cuddles to one Mard Geer. _Love cuddles, but Mard needs to help with dishes and laundry._
  3. Mard Geer will help Lucy find her missing key and protect her on dangerous jobs. _OOOO demonic boyfriend bodyguard._
  4. We shall frequently have sex. _Ditto this!_
  5. Mard Geer will shower or bathe with Lucy every morning and be rewarded with coffee for his service. _Evenings too?_ Yes, evenings too.
  6. _More Sex!_ Lots of oral.
  7. Mard Geer will not kill Fairy Tail members but can maim them, with Lucy approval. _He can defend himself, but no killing my nakama._
  8. Lucy will give up all drugs but those wonderful brownies can stay. _Brownies!! I should bake more._
  9. There will be significant amounts of sex. _OMG!, like now?_
  10. No lying to each other, cheating with other people (Mard’s dick is hereby property of Lucy, and _Mard can totally have anal on his birthday_ ), no breaking up, no breaking each other’s heart. _OMG! Mard we’re totally a couple now._
  11. Yes, we will have sex. _Cause it’s sooo good._



Contract is now set and agreed to, it cannot be nullified, augmented, changed, destroyed or anything by anyone (yeah fuck you Zeref)

Their signatures followed with a few drops of dried blood and Lucy felt her stomach drop. She had just signed a contract and bound herself to a demon. Lucy handed the papers back to Mard, a bit annoyed they wrote it on the blank side of her manuscript.

“We’re stuck together,” she whispered.

“According to this we are and it cannot be broken.” He ran a hand over his face and she noticed how he looked a little lost.

“How about we have that coffee, I guess since you washed me I have to provide it,” she said, hoping coffee would wake up her brain a little to get a grip on this. 

Lucy wobbled into her bedroom and rummaged through a drawer for clothes. As she was pulling out some shorts and a t-shirt, she noticed a pair of Gray’s athletic shorts and passed them over to Mard. “Here, these should fit and I guess we’ll need to figure out clothes for you and a job.”

“Thank you and what is a job?” he asked.

“It’s what you do to acquire money, we need money for things like food, rent, clothes and other things.” Lucy put on her t-shirt, not feeling awkward about having flashed Mard. He’d seen it all, so what was the point of modesty?

“You are in a guild, would I not just work with you?”

Lucy stopped mid stride and bit her bottom lip, her eyes started watering and she felt Mard’s arms wrap around her. She started balling into his chest as he smoothed down her hair and held her. This was killing her the first real warmth and comfort she had for months and it was at the hands of the guy who orchestrated the attack that destroyed her world. How the hell was he managing this? 

“The contract, Lucy, I have to honor it,” he said and she looked up at him.

“So you’re only nice because we drunkenly wrote a contract that way?” 

He nodded, “yes because I have no other way of knowing what to do in this situation. So when you put in there I cannot be mean, it means I have to act against my own impulses and do the opposite. Had you not put that in there, I would be laughing at your tears.”

Lucy sniffled, “we were so stupid, weren’t we?”

“That is one way to phrase it but I realized something while coming out of the mental haze of the narcotics you gave me,” he said as they moved towards the kitchen. Lucy noticed that he was holding her hand and it felt nice.

She grabbed the tea kettle and started filling it while Mard stood in the doorway and watched. His eyes took in everything, and from the look on his face he was trying to understand her world. “What did you realize?” she asked putting it on the stove before grabbing the container of coffee.

Mard took a step into the kitchen and looked at the french press on her counter. “That your human vices tear through mental walls. That what we wrote was not because we were thinking but because we were feeling and tapping into things hidden in the back of our mind that we needed. Akin to autonomic writing.”

She blinked and stared at him in open mouth wonder, though before she could continue she noticed he tensed and turned his head towards her front door. A loud bang hit the door and Lucy moved to open it, instructing Mard to stay hidden in the kitchen. As she opened the door she looked down and saw a book on her doorstep, she bent over and grabbed it. Noticing that on the cover was a large purple rose and “Mard Geer Tartaros” written on it. 

It felt like a normal book but as she turned and tried to open it, it would not budge. Mard came out of the kitchen, she saw his eyes go wide as he moved and snatched it from her. He opened the book and flipped through it, his eyes darting back and forth as his jaw fell open. In the span of seconds the book tumbled out of his hands and hit the ground, his skin became a bit more pallid and he wobbled on his feet for a second. Lucy went to his side and put her arm around his waist as he trembled.

“Mard?” she asked, the worry in her voice at his reaction.

“My book, every page, blank except for the same passage...”

“What?” she asked as he turned and hugged her, lifting her feet off the ground as he crushed her. 

“Null and void, the binding contract between Mard Geer Tartaros and Zeref Dragneel is hereby erased. Then there is a copy of our contract.” 

“Wait, seriously?” she asked.

Mard set her down as the teapot started to whistle, Lucy went back into the kitchen to turn off the stove and make coffee. As she was adding in the water to the french press Mard came into the kitchen.

“Yes, all of it, this is why I can feel things again. Do you not see, the only thing that can override a contract with a demon is a stronger contract writer. You, Lucy are perhaps the strongest Celestial Summoning mage ever born, strong enough to overwrite the damage Zeref has done to me and the rest of his library. The Etherious can be free, if they are still alive. I need you to save them.”

Lucy was shocked to hear what he said and it took several moments before she could piece her brain back together. She was stronger than Zeref? Could release the demons of Tartaros from him? That wasn’t right, she was weak, everyone told her that and the countless times she had been kidnapped, tortured and everything else. This wasn’t possible, she had to be dreaming or still out of her mind. Both, maybe?

Mard pressed his finger tip to her nose, “however, no sex provisions in their contracts, after all there is no cheating.”

She started to giggle at his playful side, “guess I better not be messed up and horny as fuck when I handle those.” Lucy poured them coffee and she handed it to Mard who graced her with another smile as his eyes lit up and he inhaled the aroma.

“So wait, you were like only the way you were because of that book?” she asked.

“Yes, Zeref took away my ability to feel anything and would assign orders or plans to be via amending the contract.”

She pursed her lips, “Mard why would you agree to an open ended contract?”

She watched how he drained his cup and then poured another, “I was young at the time, Zeref found me when I was a demonling, he raised me, and I trusted him to never harm me and agreed to it.”

She watched his face fall as he set down the coffee mug, Lucy reached out and grabbed his hand. “He betrayed you anyways, and took away your emotions and used you.”

Mard’s mouth opened and closed several times before a look of horror came across his face and then changed into complete pain. He dropped his cup on the floor, it shattered as hot coffee splashed at her toes, Lucy yipped and jumped over the puddle and shards. She lead Mard out of the kitchen and took him to the couch. 

She held him as he began to cry all over her chest, he shook and gripped her shirt as his muffled howls filled her ears. Lucy’s heart broke for him and if she understood things a bit clearer, it was obvious. Mard Geer was more of a victim of life than she was and she knew exactly what he was feeling. 

He trusted Zeref like a son would a father or for her how a daughter would trust a father. Yet, Zeref, like Jude used their love and trust against them for their own plans and needs. Her father saw her as property to display and sell to further his financial ambitions and Zeref saw Mard as a powerful weapon against everyone and anyone. They were both trapped and somehow life, fate, the Universe or whatever had found a way to free them both. 

Lucy was saved and freed by joining Fairy Tail and making her own family. Mard was saved by her being a drunken fool who was looking for warmth and someone to never leave her again. Though was she worse than Zeref, despite this being an honest mistake, she bound him to her and was that really fair?

Mard mumbled something into her chest, “huh?’

_ This is different, I wrote this contract with you. You did not trick me, lie to me or deceive me. You may have intoxicated me but it is obvious I was a willing participant. _

Lucy’s eyes went wide as she heard him clear as day in her mind. Then it started to make sense, how he could answer questions without her actually speaking. Mard was a telepath which might be a good thing or just stupidly obnoxious but like all magic it’ll depend on its use.

“Mard, if I wasn’t this strong, would our contract actually overridden your’s with Zeref? How would that have worked.” she asked and he stopped sniffling and looked up at her.

“It would have just been a piece of paper but when I woke this morning, I knew something was different that I was feeling the compulsion magic run through it. I just never considered that it would handle that,” he pointed towards his book and judging by the volume of pages in it, that was quite the contract Zeref had over the demon.

“How did your book get here?”

“Those books are contracts, contracts only stay with the owner. In this case the book was void and the magic forced it to appear.” he said as he leaned over and grabbed a tissue. Lucy looked around the very messy living room, counting empty bottles of booze and seeing that half of the brownies were gone. Though since she didn’t recover them, they were looking a bit dried out and gross.

Lucy always understood the power of contracts and honoring her word but now she was getting quite the education about just how powerful it was. Also a bit surprising that her power could even work on a demon. 

“All contracts work on demons, it is a flaw with my kind and promises work on Celestials, which is their flaw. The trick is to get the demon or Celestial to agree,” he said.

“A Celestial promise is akin to a contract so really the only difference is that I have to write for a demon and speak with a Celestial.” She mused and Mard nodded.

“How do you not know this about your power and abilities? Have you never spoken to a demon or read up on them?”

Lucy had to admit it was a fair question and he wasn’t being mean, not that he could, about the whole thing. “I just,” she huffed, “look every demon I ever met until this morning has been mean, vicious and trying to kill me. I never thought to stop and ask it for tea.”

“Coffee, tea is boring and offensive,” he snarked and Lucy couldn’t help but giggle.

“Speaking of coffee, I need to go clean up the mess, care to help?” she asked.

Mard stood up and helped her up, she was still feeling a little fuzzy but that was okay, she could nap later. She watched how he walked over to the broken coffee cup and bent over to pick up the pieces. She greatly admired his ass in the dark navy shorts, finding herself not really sleepy but more wanting to…

Mard stood up and looked over his shoulder at her, “you do know that sex is a major facet of the contract and my dick does belong to you.”

Lucy gulped, quickly reminding herself that now she was living with a telepath. Then again, it certainly had an advantage and she mentally pictured Mard bending her over the couch arm and plowing into her from behind. She saw his shorts begin to tent out as he moved to her. He grabbed her suddenly and before she blink he had her bent over the arm of the couch.

Her shorts were pushed down and before Lucy could protest she felt his hands spread her apart as his tongue licked her from clit to entrance. Lucy shivered as he teased and delighted her with that evil little muscle.

_ Provision six, lot’s of oral, _ he said to her as Lucy was panting and clawing at the couch trying to hold herself upright. There was a bit of arcane magic that he performed with his tongue, flicking it at speed, back and forth over her bundle of nerves. She felt a finger enter her and her hips tilted down. She was a squirming mess as he feasted.

“Oh god….fuck….I’m gonna,” she said as Mard put in a second finger, pumping them in and out of her with a slight curl to hit her little secret spot. His teeth slightly pinched her and Lucy began to buck into his hand as she orgasmed.

She was sweaty, her legs shaky and adrenaline all over her skin as she felt him come up behind her, his bared cock teasing at her entrance. Mard pulled her hair a little, lifting her a bit to rest on her elbows as he smoothly entered her. Lucy could feel her body stretch out to accommodate him, dear goddess above they had sex how many times and she was struggling to handle him.

The hand not entangled in her hair had read under her to cup her breast and gently roll and pinch her nipple, Lucy moaned as Mard began an intense pace. 

Her poor wall as the force of Mard’s thrusts kept banging the couch into the wall. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as he bent over her and nibbled on her neck. His length punishing her with every heavy sharp thrust and that little snap to his hips had made it much more glorious. 

“Going to make you orgasm so hard for me,” he said and Lucy shivered, “you will scream my name.”

“M-Mard…” she moaned as he pulled a little harder on her hair and moved his hand off her breast to begin to tease her clit again. 

“Louder,” he commanded as he pistoned into her. The wall was rattling as the couch kept banging into it but Lucy really did care at that moment. Not when he was teasing her and liquid fire began to race through her, sending her racing towards another orgasm. 

“M-Mard! Oh fuck… Mard!” she shouted and heard his grunt in satisfaction as he fucked her. Lucy tumbled off of that cliff, her release ripping through her as Mard growled and rode out her channel tightening around him. She felt him swell before he slammed into her and with tiny thrusts spent his release. 

Lucy was trying to catch her breath as Mard placed soft kisses to her shoulder blade. She felt his chest vibrate before he started chuckling. “Lucy, you have literally turned me into a sex demon, and with your mind, do have any idea how dangerous that is?”

She giggled, “hey, you agreed to it, so what does that say about you?”

“That I really needed to get, as you humans say, laid.”

* * *

 

And that's the first chapter... it's gratuitous AF on the lemons but hey....people shouldn't write contracts while high LOL There's more to come for this, so watch out for this and the second chapter to be posted after MardLu Week. I thought you all needed a little teasing.

Comments, kudos and bookmark! Lots more fun for MardLu Week ahead!


	5. Premature

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Chakram comes home early, upset, from his first date it’s mom and dad to the rescue. Sadly for Mard it means retelling the story of their first date and it’s embarrassing premature ending. AU

Hiro Mashima owns Fairy Tail

* * *

 

Mard had been enjoying the peaceful night with his wife. They were relaxing on the sofa watching their favorite movie and snuggling while feeding each other popcorn. It was such a nice relief to have a few hours together with no kids around.

Scimitar was at work as a waitress at Mira’s, trying to save up money before heading back to college. Haladie was spending the night at her friend’s house and Chakram was out on his first date. Overall a nice quiet night.

Mard was laughing at the “mostly dead” scene when the door opened and slammed. Rosebud and he looked behind the couch and saw a very distraught looking Ram.

“Rammie, what’s wrong baby boy?” she asked as she got out of his arms and crossed the living room to hug their son.

The blonde-haired boy sniffled before wiping the back of his hand against his nose, “I-I it’s embarrassing.”

Mard noticed a bit of a mess on the boy’s jeans when he untangled himself from his mother’s hug. “Ram, come on, let me tell you a story about our first date.” Mard said as he took his wife’s hand and looked into her large brown eyes, “like father, like son,” he whispered.

“Oh!” she exclaimed blushing a bit, “go change, I’ll make some coffee.”

Ram sniffled and quietly shuffled up the stairs to his room. Mard followed his wife into the kitchen and mentally braced himself to relive one of the best of most embarrassing moments of his life. The things a good father does for their kids.

“Poor Rammie,” she sighed and Mard nodded, he knew exactly what happened.

“Indeed, but things turned out alright for us, you eventually stopped laughing about it.” Mard noticed his wife contorting her face trying to not laugh, “nevermind, you never stopped.” He sighed and facepalmed.

She smiled at him, “love you.”

“I know,” he chided as Ram came into the kitchen, changed into a pair of sweatpants. Mard pushed the cookie jar in front of him and took a seat at the table while Rosebud had the coffee brewing.

“Let’s start at the beginning,” he said as he took his son’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

* * *

 

“Don’t worry father, I’ll be home by eleven,” Mard Geer said as he patiently waited for his father to hand him the car keys. Had the importance of tonight been anything lesser, he never would have asked for such a special favor.

Tonight, was his first date with a schoolmate he was absolutely smitten with and had been since he first met her almost a year ago. Though at the time there was no way he was going to ask her on a date, how he managed to ask her out tonight was only because he was grateful for her assistance and it was polite. Still Mard Geer was going on a date with the very beautiful Lucy Heartfilia, the little Light of Fairy Tail High School. He was still under the belief he was dreaming.

“You know the rules,” his father said. Zeref, would never need to phrase that as a question. Rules were too important to never question.

“No eating in the car, nothing to drink but water, top off the tank and wash the car before putting the cover back on it,” he said, trying to not be overly anxious. His father was very strict but fair, as long as Mard stayed patient.

His father gave him a smile, “that’s my son, I’m proud of you.”

“It is just pizza,” Mard said trying to not blush. He always figured Freed would be the first to have their first date but no, somehow Mard got the honor.

“She has good taste, just please be good to Happy,” his father put the keys to his classic royal blue convertible in Mard’s hand.

Mard felt pride but also nervousness, that car was the last thing of Uncle Natsu they had before he vanished. His Uncle Natsu named the car, complete with personalized plates, Happy because that was how he felt when he drove it.  If anything happened to it, his father would lose his mind. Maybe Mard should have taken his pickup truck, it wasn’t much to look at, but it was clean and ran well.

Then again, he really wanted to impress Lucy. Practicality or style, he would normally go with the first option but according to both his brother and best friend, that simply would not do. He decided to heed their advice, even if the car was very sentimental to his father.

“I know,” he sighed.

“Mard, did you remember to clip her a rose?” his mother, Mavis, asked as she came into the room with her little camera. She smiled at him as he held up the rose in his hand, the large deep red bloom was almost too heavy for the stem and so he held it like a wine glass. Though this rarity of a blossom was one of their biggest sellers, which reminded him, he needed to do another harvest soon. There was always work.

“Yes, mom,” he said.

Mard’s pale, lithe mother moved over to him, her shaking fingers began to play with the collar of his button-down black shirt. He met her eyes, seeing how much cloudier they looked today, soon she’d need an operation or go blind. She smiled at him, “There, so handsome. My big boy is on his first date.”

“Still can’t believe you are going out with the most popular girl in school,” his twin, Freed added. They weren't identical twins (in their human forms) but were born 6 minutes apart. Though when people saw the whole family together, the traits from their parents made sense.

Mard easily took after their father from the coal black eyes, chin and complexion but he was slightly taller and more muscular. Freed had their mother's delicate features, lighter eyes and softer disposition, well until he was angry.

“I cannot, either, Lucy, apparently likes me,” Mard said as he smiled for his mom who was playing with her camera. After a moment, Freed took the little device from her and snapped a couple pictures of Mard and her for the photo album. His mother loved her photos and her little camera -that they all pitched in for a few Christmases ago- was everything. He knew she would look over the pictures a million times, trying to memorize every detail about her life.

“I’ll walk you out,” Freed said as Mard gave his mother a kiss on the cheek. They headed out for the detached garage, their golden retriever, Jackal, following them. That dog followed Mard everywhere and even slept by his feet in bed. Though as the dog got bigger and Mard too, it started to create issues. The best he could do was cut off one side of an old baby crib and attach it to the end of his bed. This way Jackal had his own space, though somehow that dog would still wind up cuddling him in the morning.

The little demon family loved on the outskirts of town, running a small family farm, Spriggan Acres. They weren't the poorest family but certainly not the richest in Magnolia. Life for them was simple, work the fields, study hard and always have dinner together, but they still found time to play and laugh. Their mother would not have it any other way.

“Mard, can I ask a favor?” Freed asked and Mard arched an eyebrow. His emerald haired twin rarely asked him for anything.

“What is it?”

“I, um, can I borrow your truck while you are out?” Freed asked looking at the ground, the change of skin tone to red was clearly noticeable.

“Of course, though why all the blushing?” Mard asked.

“I didn’t want to tell mom…” Freed’s voice trailed off and Mard watched his brother’s face increase in its redness.

Mard was certain there was only one thing that could cause his brother to turn that color. “You have a date?”

“Study date!” Freed shouted before he tucked a lock of hair behind his ear and stared at the ground for a moment before looking up, “promise you won’t get mad?”

Mard tried to think quickly over why Freed would ask him such an inane question. Of course, he was not going to be angry at his brother for having a study date. Well, then again, “Merlin?”

Merlin was Mard’s best friend since second grade when she yanked on his indigo hair and demanded he read his “Dragons Love Tacos” book to her. He complied because for being small she was strangely scary but he immediately, in his 8-year-old wisdom, saw that she was lonely too.

Their friendship started off with Mard reading to her, which, he found out later, was a trick to get him to teach her how to read and speak his language, Infernai. As their friendship grew and Merlin confided in him, she taught him her language and when they wanted to annoy adults, they would speak in Minstrellian.

Not all of their friendship was that easy, when Mard started going through his demonic form of puberty, Merlin stepped up to keep the bullies away. It wasn’t Mard’s fault he’d start getting patchy scales or that his voice would go all over the place or the horror of his wings shedding in the middle of history class. His best friend had jumped up on a desk and threatened to turn them all into toads if they did not go get the nurse. When the first kid who laughed instantly became a toad, Mard went from sobbing in embarrassment to laughing as Merlin did a happy dance on the desk.

Though demons, mages, Celestials and humans had coexisted for a thousand years, the races still had lingering issues. Where they lived, their family was one of two demon families in the town of eight thousand and so things were difficult for the Dragneels and Strausses.

Demons are born into their true form and form the human appearance during puberty, called _The Change_. Freed managed to go through his during the summer and Mard started his a few weeks before the end of the school year. However, he was not ready for when the next school year started, and girls started flirting with him.

Apparently, Mard and Freed’s human forms were deemed “hot".

Freed grinned like a madman for a moment before playing with a wild strand of his long emerald hair. “She, um…”

“Asked you?” Mard questioned, certain of the answer. He knew his best friend almost as well as well as he knew his twin.

Freed nodded, “you're not upset?”

Mard chuckled, “you know she has had a crush on you since the 6th grade.”

Turquoise eyes went wide, “really?”

“Freed, Merlin thought you were handsome little demon, unlike the other girls who didn't notice till after your change,” Mard said, checking his watch.

“Like how Lucy didn't notice you?” Freed asked, it wasn't malicious, just observational.

“Freed, that is not fair, Lucy moved here the middle of last year. It is only this year that we had a class together, but she was never scared of my demon form when I would help her in the library.” Mard said, trying to not snap. He didn't want to see the woman as being superficial, like the other ones who threw themselves at him.

For instance, Minerva, that cheerleader had tried to molest him in the Reference Periodicals section of the library. He couldn't hit her but didn't have to as Lucy pulled Minerva off him. In his gratitude he had asked Lucy out to pizza, tonight. Mard could admit that he sounded like a bumbling moron when he asked her, but when she smiled and said yes, he thought his head would explode.

“You’re right didn't mean to offend you,” Freed said as he looked at his shoes.

“It is fine, Lucy is so different for a Celestial or woman in general. I like that about her,” Mard said as he lifted the old garage door. He took a moment, with Freed’s help, to pull the cover off the car and roll it up to set in the trunk.

“She's a Celestial? I didn't know that,” Freed stated as Mard handed him his truck keys.

Celestials and demons were opposites, and naturally had aggression for each other. Though culturally, these days, both groups strayed from their original paradigms, they still harbored certain stereotypes. Celestials were the prim and proper do-gooders and demons were the wicked creatures of lies and sin. Personally, Mard thought it was relatively stupid, but that's stereotypes.

“Yes, I was very much surprised that she would take an interest in a demon. It is only pizza, and we do need to talk about our science project for Mr. Cobra,” Mard said as he climbed into the pristine vehicle.

“Have fun, brother,” Freed waved as Mard started the car, enjoying the sound of the engine roaring to life.

* * *

 

Lucy must have changed her outfit a billion times for tonight. To say she was nervous was an understatement. This was her first date and maybe, first kiss. She blushed at the thought of kissing her very attractive science partner.

“Lucy, you look great, just chill already,” Cana said as she stretched out on Lucy's bed.

“Cana, it’s my first real date and Mard is so…” her voice trailed off.

“Hot as sin, who would have thought the Dragneel twins would become the hottest guys in school,” her friend added as she jokingly fanned herself.

“Mard was cute, as a demon, before he changed,” Lucy admitted, thinking about the first time she'd met him.

She had been in the library and on her first day, she was lost. For a smaller town, their main school, Fairy Tail, had a library that rivaled the one at Crocus High. Lucy needed to find a copy of an analysis on _Fahrenheit 451_ for her literature class paper, on how science fiction often predicts future social issues. When she was ready to give up, the large dark-skinned demon walked up to her.

As a Celestial, or basically a half angel in her case, the demon should have terrified her. Something about his large eyes, relaxed her instead and when he spoke, his smooth voice washed over her, and she shivered. Mard helped her with finding what she needed, and Lucy considered him her first new friend. Every study hall she was in the library, hoping to find him and many times she was successful. Though she spent more time looking at him, than talking to him.

After the summer, when she came back to school, Lucy's jaw dropped when Mard walked into her science class in his new human form. She only recognized him at first because of the hair, long full dark plum tresses in a high ponytail, but when their eyes met, she saw the same kindness as his demon side. This time when he spoke to her, his voice was deeper and that triggered every female hormone in her body.

Sadly, she was not the only girl to notice and locker room talk about Mard had only upset her. Girls who didn't give him a second glance, as a demon, were all about his human appearance. Some even went as far as to change their schedules, to be in the library when he was. Lucy may have put a few girls in their place about their comments and sex talk.

“So weird to hear someone call a demon cute,” Cana said.

“Demons are people too, so they can be cute,” Lucy shot back as she stared at her reflection, checking her appearance again. She hoped the short light pink summer dress didn't scream “jump me”, then again getting jumped by Mard wouldn't be the worst thing to ever happen to her.

Lucy really needed to get her hormones under control, which usually they were, just not around Mard. It bothered her that she could just lose control, even just thinking about him. Perhaps she could discuss it with her friend Loke, yeah, she'll send him an Angelgram later.

It was hard for Lucy to be on her own now, but with her angelic mom passing away and her human father committing suicide, she wound up under the care of her “uncle” Capricorn. A star born Celestial, who was her godfather and mother's closest friend. She loved the goat man, but he wasn't exactly material for teenage female conversations.

She glanced at her alarm clock and noticed that she had 2 minutes till he'd be here. “I look good?”

Cana rolled her eyes, “yes, stop it. Prettiest girl in school and I have no idea why you are always so lacking confidence.”

Lucy tucked a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear and blushed. Honestly, she just never wanted to get so full of herself that she would ever be egotistical.

The girls left her room as the doorbell rang.  Lucy upped her pace but didn't make it before Capricorn opened the door. The goat man took a step back and his shoulders tensed.

“Go-Good evening, sir, I'm here to pick up Lucy. My name is Mard Geer Dragneel,” he said.

“Demon?” Capricorn asked, his voice gruff.

“Yes, sir, is my species a problem?” he asked, and Lucy could barely pick up the annoyance in his voice.   _Leave it to Uncle Capricorn to offend someone within 10 seconds._

“Absolutely not Mard,” Lucy said as she walked across the room. She saw how he blushed and smiled as the rose in his fingers fluttered a little.

“Lucy, you said you were seeing the nice boy from the library and your science class,” Capricorn said, his eyes not leaving Mard.

“And this is him, being a demon doesn't preclude him from being nice. Just like you being a Celestial doesn't stop you from being a racist prick,” she shot back, feeling her temper rise as her uncle insulted her demon.

“I'm sorry, Lucy, perhaps I should go, I do not want to cause family problems,” Mard said as he pulled slightly at his collar and swallowed.

“Yes, Mard, let's go,” Lucy said blowing right by her uncle and slamming the door. What the hell came over her? She would never disrespect her Uncle like that, normally, but he was going to keep her from her date because he's a demon. The nerve.

“You look beautiful,” Mard was still pink and he timidly handed her the rose in his hand. “I grew it myself.”

That explained why he smelt like roses, Lucy thought it was very sweet of him to give her a flower he personally raised. She inhaled the light fragrance and admired the deep red petals of the flower. “Thank you, Mard.”

He held out his arm and Lucy took it as he walked her down the walkway to his car. Her eyebrows shot up at the mint condition vintage convertible. She thought he drove a pickup truck.

“My uncle's car, I got to borrow it for our first date,” he said with pride as he opened the door for her. She noticed the use of the word first and Lucy couldn't help but smile at the thought of a second or third date. Maybe he liked her just as much as she liked him?

“It's a very nice car.” He shut the door and came around to the other side. Lucy’s phone beeped, and she checked the message.

_From Uncle Cappy: Sorry, be home by 11._

_To Uncle Cappy: Okay! ;)_

Mard started the car, “Mira’s has the best pizza.”

“I love that place, and Mira is so sweet,” Lucy added, knowing the silver haired demoness. As far as she knew only Mard’s family and the Strausses were the only demons in Magnolia.

Not that Lucy, being a Celestial, was common either, there were a few families who had the species type. Though humans accepted Celestials much more readily than demons or mages. Mages were the oddest ones, humans with magic, effectively but they were treated the harshest because all species were afraid of what a powerful mage could do. Though the mage population was higher than Demon or Celestial but still nowhere near human numbers.

Humans, Lucy loved them because they had great capacity to overlook species. Didn't mean they always did, but the vast majority were better these days than 50 years ago when towns were segregated, and demons lynched. She couldn't imagine how hard Mard’s life had been before he gained his human appearance.

“I also was hoping we could start planning our science project for the botany unit,” Mard said.

“Okay, Mr. Cobra is such a challenging teacher,” Lucy said as she watched Mard's hands glide around the wheel, those long fingers wrapped around the leather. The naughty thoughts entered her head and Lucy shivered.

“Are you cold? I can put the top up,” Mard asked and Lucy blushed lightly, feeling as if she was caught for her dirty thoughts.

“No, thank you,” she said and turned her attention to the rose in her hands instead of the attractive demon driving the car.

They didn't talk much on the way to Mira’s, as Lucy could practically feel Mard's nervousness wash over her. She understood, as she was nervous herself, mostly she was anxious anticipating her first kiss. Well, hopefully, she didn't know Mard well enough and he seemed old fashioned. That added to his overall charm.

Mard opened doors, offered her his arm, smiled and always remembered his please and thank yous. It was so nice to experience that, kind of reminded her of her other friend in Crocus, Lahar, a nice human with fantastic manners and fantastic OCD. She made a mental note to pen him a letter this weekend.

Mira’s was buzzing in activity as tables were full and the bar over crowded. The vibe here was absolutely relaxed despite being packed. The smell of amazing food hit Lucy and she felt her stomach clench, she forgot to eat lunch today.

“Mard! Hey,” Mira called out as she came around from the bar. Lucy watched as the older demon hugged her date. “You two are so adorable, this way!”

Mard led her through the busy crowd, “you know Mira?”

He nodded, “she used to babysit Freed and I when we were little. See…” he pointed towards the bar and Lucy looked over at the collection of pictures. She saw one picture of two little demons, one with purple and one with green hair, hugging Mira and holding sundaes. This was the kind of thing she wished people would pay attention, when talking about demons, just how “normal” they are.

“Cute!” Lucy called out and watched her date blush.

“Yes, the Dragneel twins have always been little cuties,” Mira said as she ushered them into the quiet booth in the back. “Still can't get over how quickly they grew up,” she sighed, and Lucy realized just how close they were. For all intents and purposes, they were family and Lucy thought it was amazing how they look out for each other and love each other.

“Thank you, Mira,” Mard said as he slid in the booth across from Lucy. For being a teenage boy, her date had wonderful grace and fluidity in his movements. She couldn’t ever picture him being inelegant.

“Have fun, I'll send Lis over to get your orders!” Mira chirped as she spun around and went back to the bar.

* * *

 _She's so gorgeous_ , Mard thought to himself as Lucy nibbled her bottom lip and looked over the menu. Part of him was still in disbelief that this was how his life was going. Out on a date with the most beautiful and smart woman he knew. Someone out there was blessing him with luck, he’d find that deity later.

“Should we split a pizza then?” she asked and Mard could only nod. He watched as she ran her finger down the menu, though he was trying to not stare at her cleavage. Lucy was sporting quite a bit of it and it was difficult to keep his wits about him.

“Anything you don’t like?” she asked and Mard blinked several times. He had to remember that she was talking about pizza and not asking him if there was anything he didn’t like about her.

There was so much about her to like and Mard had stared at his ceiling for hours many nights cataloguing all of it. Here he was, on a date with her and he could not have been happier with the whole evening.

“Anchovies, dead eyed salty fish, disturb me,” he said, and she chuckled at him.

“How about we just do the carnivore pizza, it has bacon,” she said.

“Bacon is good, though I like it with eggs and coffee,” Mard added, trying to get the conversation flowing.

“You like coffee?” she asked, and he could not help but stare into her eyes, noticing how they were truly the perfect color of a wonderful dark roast.

“Yes, mama let us try it at twelve, Freed was not a fan of espresso, but I enjoyed it,” he added, thinking of when he got to enjoy his first sip of it. His mother said they could try it, but they would try it in a traditional way. That meant she ground the beans and used a moka pot on the gas stove, they were not allowed sugar or cream but a lemon zest. Mard chuckled a bit as he thought of his brother’s face scrunching up in horror at the taste.

“What’s funny?” she asked.

“Thinking of my brother’s face when he first tried espresso. He’s a cappuccino person, needs the cream and sugar to enjoy coffee,” Mard added as he noticed Lisanna making her way to the table. The younger Strauss sibling was a lovely younger version of her sister and an absolute delight as a person, once you got through her little ego.

“Hey Mard, oh hi…” she said before looking back at Mard.

He let out a breath and tried to contain his rage at the moment. Mard didn’t understand why anyone would not like Lucy, she was a beautiful and promising as a rosebud. Waiting to fully bloom and show the world just how lovely she truly is, if only others would stop looking at her for the wrong reasons.

“Lis,” Lucy said her voice clipped and Mard started to realize several things at once. These women didn’t like each other for the sake of rivalries over high school things, they were quietly fighting over him. Mard adjust the collar of his shirt as he tried to not blush. This whole being “hot” thing still didn’t sit right with him, why couldn’t anyone notice him as a demon as Merlin had noticed his twin? Or even how Lucy had noticed him in the library?

Freed and him grew up with Lis and Elfman, this was the first time he’d seen the youngest sibling show an interest in him. Then again, he hadn’t noticed how any woman looked at him till Lucy, he’d noticed the buxom Celestial since first glance.

“Lucy, could you handle the order, I need to use the restroom,” he said as he slid out of the booth. Mard smiled at her and stepped around Lisanna as he tried to quickly duck into the men’s room.

He was slightly shaking, this was not his usual thing to handle. Women were fighting over him, and he didn’t understand it, there wasn’t much that was special about him as a demon. His magic type dealt with roses, for crying out loud. Mard Geer was just a farmer with an affinity for roses who loved to read and was blessed with a loving family. Nothing special at all, so why did these girls seem bent on trying to be near him. Didn’t they understand that only Lucy was the woman he was interested in?

As Mard loosened his collar by undoing the top two buttons, he decided to splash a little cold water on his face. When he got back to the table he planned on discussing science with Lucy, least if anything it might keep his eyes away from her chest. It’s not that he was trying to be perverted but it was right there, plunging neckline and full breasts; like someone was teasing him or testing him on how to be a gentleman.

“So, then Laxus tossed the ball and… well fuck, it’s demon boy,” said a voice behind Mard and he silently groaned.

He let out a quick breath and turned around, staring into the face of his rival, Gray Fullbuster.

* * *

 

“What?” Chakram asked as he leaned back in the dining room chair. Mard chuckled as he refilled his cup of decaf. Sadly, he had to adjust to coffee without caffeine after his last doctor visit that said his heart could no longer handle the stimulate. Getting old was not fun, though he was just barely past midlife and Mard wished it was not happening.

Then again, the life he had and watching his beautiful kids grow up, maybe caffeine was a small sacrifice for everything he was blessed with. “Yes, Silver’s dad was not the nicest guy in high school.”

“I just can’t picture Mr. Fullbuster like that,” Ram said as he ran his hand through his hair.

“Gray changed a lot since high school, I think meeting Seilah in college did that for him,” Rosebud said as he smiled at her son, “now do you want us to finish the story or not Rammie?”

“Well yeah, I just…” he let out a breath as he slammed his coffee.

Out of all the kids only Chakram wound up with the coffee addiction. Scimitar and Haladie were both cuddle addicts, much to Rosebud’s annoyance because they were both considered “daddy’s girls.” Though he knew his wife was thoroughly enjoying this moment with their son. She also loved taking proverbial trips down memory lane.

“So, to continue,” Mard said taking a sip.

* * *

 

Gray moved into his face, forcing Mard to take a few steps back till his butt hit the sink. He didn’t want a fight with the young mage and co-captain of the football team. All Mard could think about right now was just getting back to his date.

“So,” Gray clicked his tongue, “what you doing here?”

“Not your business,” Mard replied. He wasn’t trying to be snarky just that his plans tonight were not for discussion.

“He’s with Lucy…” said Sting as he glared at him. Mard really could not understand the mentality of the jocks. So, what if he wasn’t into sports, he had books to read, a farm to work on and his roses to attend to. Nowhere in there was time nor interest in sports.

Gray raised a brow, “that so, you trying to taint the little angel?”

Mard had to think fast to control his anger, taint was such a vile word. Just because of how he was born does not mean he was evil or tainted anything. The stereotyping was appalling to say the very least. Instead of this confrontation Mard said nothing and just stepped to the side, hoping to just slip out of here before something happened.

He wasn’t fast enough, and Gray grabbed a hold of his arm, holding him in place as he continued his menacing glare at him. “You know how life works, answer to your betters, demon boy.”

Mard heard the door crack open and saw Mr. Cobra standing in the doorway, “maybe if you acted better Mr. Fullbuster. Back off him or do you want to be arrested for a hate crime, you little shit stain.”

Everyone froze as Gray shoved Mard before looking at their one-eyed teacher. Mr. Cobra was intimidating and Mard had never seen him angry but now, the curl in the teacher’s upper lip was enough to put a bit of fear through him.

“It’s all good, just gotta take a piss,” Gray said.

“Urinals are to your right, be there,” the teacher growled. Mard watched as the jocks all promptly headed there before he looked at his teacher. The old man smiled at him before running his hand through his silver and maroon hair.

He didn’t say much as he headed towards the door when Mr. Cobra put his hand on his shoulder, “used to get a bunch of shit too. I ain’t full blooded like you and Freed but even half-spawns get enough abuse. Now go have fun on your date, she’s waiting for you.”

“Th-thank you, sir,” Mard said as his teacher grinned at him. He honestly had no idea that his teacher was half demon, that was interesting, and he would keep better tabs on that.

“You gotta stand up for yourself kid, I know it’s scary but meatheads like that only understand two things, sports and your fist in their face,” Mr. Cobra clenched Mard’s shoulder and with a nod Mard left to get back to his date.

As he walked back to the table he realized that his shirt was disheveled, and his heart was racing. That was intense for the young man and he was grateful for his professor showing up when he did. Then again looking at the scowl on Mira’s face, he figured it was her doing. After all Mira could have easily walked into the men’s room and handled it herself, she still liked to be polite.

He fixed his shirt, leaving the top two buttons still undone and adjusted it so it sat right on his shoulders again. As he saw Lucy sitting there he smiled a bit and moved back into his seat.

“You okay?” she asked. Mard stalled for a moment taking a sip of his water.

“Yes, ran into Mr. Cobra,” he said, not wanting to start a problem by discussing Gray’s actions.

“Makes sense, he’s dating Mira, if you didn’t know,” Lucy said with a smile on her. Mard loved her smile, it was one of her best features.

“I didn’t, then again I don’t hang out here like I used to as a kid,” he said.

“So, I was thinking about the rose you gave me, and I had an idea for our botany unit,” she said, her eyes twinkling.

“Okay,” Mard said grateful to get the topic off his disappearance.

“I was trying to classify the rose you gave me, but I can’t find anything on it. I’d like to do a full report on how you cultivated such a rose and tie it into a genetics project. After all many of our current produce loves are because of farmers like you finding ways to breed the best plants for the best qualities,” she said and Mard was blushing. He never thought of using his family farm work for a science project. He was also impressed with how quickly Lucy fawned over the simple bloom.

“Well it was a combination of things, selective breeding and a bit of my demon curse abilities,” he said.

“Your curse abilities affect roses?” she asked her eyes wide.

Mard looked at his hands, then the wall, back to his hands before he managed a small nod. This was embarrassing, she was going to laugh at him for having such an uninteresting power, roses and thorn vines. He could control them and do interesting things with them, but it was nowhere near as exciting as his brother and his Runes. Sometimes Mard felt like Freed got the long end of the proverbial stick.

Before he could answer, Lucy reached across the table and put her hand over his. He looked at her and she grinned, “I think some lucky woman is going to spend the rest of her life being showered in roses. It’s a beautiful power, like the guy who wields it.”

Beautiful?

She called him beautiful and Mard suddenly felt tiny. “I am nothing special, not like you.”

Their eyes met and for a moment Mard could see his whole life for a moment. His heart fluttered as breathing was a little labored, as he saw her blush from his words. How could she not know just how pretty and wonderful she is? It was so odd to him, comments like his should be the norm for her, every day.

Lucy tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear, “thank you,” she whispered and Mard found his hand covering hers.

“You are welcome,” he said, and the world felt as if it was melting away to where only it was only the two of them.

That didn’t last as Lis came over to the table and shoved the carnivore pizza against their held hands. She let out a bit of a ‘humph’ before turning and leaving. Lucy chuckled and Mard blinked, he did not understand that girl.

* * *

 

As Lucy ate her pizza she couldn’t help but keep thinking about the thrill of their science project. It was also a great way to make sure she got to spend more time with Mard. She could admit, she had a bit of a sneaky side of her but as she looked at the slightly flushed young man, she internally sighed. How the hell did he not know just how handsome he was, or smart or special?

Mira’s had the best pizza; the secret was the homemade sausage and the family recipe for the marinara. Lucy heard Mira once say it had been in the family for five generations. On top of that, the demoness was an absolute gem and she said that every time she cooked she liked to blow a kiss at the food just to give it a little love. Lucy thought it was sweet.

Though Mard’s table manners were pristine, it made her curious, “you have perfect manners, anyone compliment you on it?”

He dabbed his napkin at his lips, “my father always insisted on us having impeccable manners. He always said that a man’s worth was dictated by the quality of his manners and mindfulness.”

“I like that, I think your father taught you well,” Lucy said, and she tried to not be sad for a moment. Mard had both his parents and she was just a hair bit jealous.

“Well one day, maybe I’ll get to pass along that wisdom to my own kids,” Mard said before taking another bit of pizza.

Lucy raised a brow, she never expected a high school boy to ever think about raising a family. Then again, it’s not like Mard was normal _per se_. “I want a big family, someday, but I also want to travel and star gaze from mountain tops all over Ishgar.”

“I’ve always wanted to travel and study different roses and other flowers from all over the world. One day I’d like to be a horticulturist and maybe run the botanical gardens,” Mard said with a grin.

“Stars and roses then,” Lucy said before she internally groaned. That was sappy and way too far ahead of herself.

Though his midnight eyes met her as his lips pulled into a small smile. “Lucy, why do I get a feeling, this is not going to be our only date?”

She gulped and felt the heat rise on her cheeks, “um….”

* * *

 

“Wow, like you two just knew or what?” Rammie asked as he stole the last cookie. Lucy looked at her husband and took his hand. He kissed it and she sighed. To this day he had that effect on her, she was still that blushing schoolgirl around him.

“Your mother did, I was a little slow,” Mard admitted. Which Lucy couldn’t argue, they dated for almost ten years before Mard proposed to her. She was ready to run off with him the day she turned eighteen.

“Celestials just know, it’s an impulse. Your father was always the kind of demon, I always needed. We never figured out if you kids would have that trick.”

“Not Scimi, she’d like eat her own young and I seriously think she’s really a serial killer,” Rammie said.

Lucy glared at her son, “Chakram Jude Tartaros, that’s not very nice. Scimi is just…”

“Dad’s perfect copy.”

“This is not a bad thing, least one of you is worth keeping,” Mard deadpanned and Lucy pinched his side as Rammie face palmed. “What?”

“Mard, you love all your babies equally,” she said with a minor threat of bodily harm in her tone.

“Of course, Rosebud, I play no favorites, but you have to admit, Spawnling would make a very adept serial killer,” he added, and Lucy slapped his arm before throwing her head back and laughing. He wasn’t wrong and that was both hilarious and a bit frightening.

She wiped the tear out of her eye, “okay now, where were we?”

* * *

 

“How’s the food, Mard?” Lis asked, and Lucy was both annoyed but grateful by her appearance.

“Excellent, as always, tell Mira I said thanks,” he said.

“I helped,” she said, and Lucy found herself balling a fist under the table as she pursed her lips. There was no way she was going to ruin her date over wanting to toss water on the little witch and see if she would melt.

“Indeed, thank you too Lisanna, now if you excuse me, Lucy and I were discussing another date,” he said, and Lucy’s eyes went wide. The silver haired girl let out a short breath before turning around and storming off.

“Mard?” Lucy asked staring at her food. She felt his fingertips press under chin as he tilted her head up to look at him.

“I would like a second date, Lucy,” he said and caught off guard all she could do was smile like a moron and nod.

“Okay,” Lucy managed to say and as she looked at him all she could think about was kissing him. Maybe they could get of here, she knew a great place for watching the stars and it was nice and secluded.

As they polished off the pizza, Lucy cleared her throat, maybe, “would you like to go stargazing?”

Mard started coughing as he tried to swallow his water, she got up and came around the table to rub his back. After a moment and Mard caught his breath he looked up at her. “S-star gazing?”

“Is that not okay?” she asked, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Maybe she was moving too fast, maybe he was only playing along with a second date to keep Lis away or maybe she just wasn’t the right kind of woman for him.

He slid out of the booth and standing to his full height, Lucy looked up at him. Mard took her hand and brought it to his lips, her toes curled. “I am just surprised, but I would love to see the stars with you.”

Lucy was lost as she considered his regal face, everything stopped until the bright flash caught her attention. “So adorable, this is going on the wall. Wait till I tell your mama!” They turned and looked as Mira was grinning wildly and putting her camera back into her apron.

“We should go before she starts picking china patterns,” Lucy said, trying to avoid any more pictures or strange looks. Despite their conversations it would be awkward to be thinking about something like that. Though her mind was going to do that anyways, she was certain the demon was the right man for her.

Mard nodded and pulled out his wallet, she watched him put the Jewels on before he held out his arm for her. Lucy smiled, she ran her fingers along his arm before taking his hand. Time stopped for her as their fingers interlocked and he gave her a soft smile.

He led her out of the busy place, stopping to wave goodbye to Mira before they exited. As they got outside, Lucy noticed how Mard cautiously looked around before making their way to his car. “Something wrong?”

Mard froze for a moment, “I’m not always…” his voice trailed off and Lucy understood. She knew many people had issues with demons.

Lucy squeezed his hand, “it’s okay, I can go all Angel on someone’s ass.”

Her date chuckled as they walked to his car, “another night you can defend my honor.” He opened the door for her and Lucy slid in. She appreciated the way he didn’t say no to the concept, which was wonderful that Mard didn’t have that kind of ego. In fact, he really didn’t seem to have one at all.

Mard started the car and Lucy gave him directions to the little clearing near the cliff overlooking the woods. To her surprise it was actually on the edge of his family’s land and he already knew the place. She found out it was a place where he liked to go to get out of the house and read in solitude.

“I discovered it a month ago, I thought the view was really pretty,” she said.

“It is, though sunrise is quite magical from that spot. I love it in the fall as the leaves change and the early morning light catches it just right,” Mard added and Lucy could easily picture that.

She could see them curled up on a blanket, watching the sun rise together and she sighed a little. Lucy was very certain that every second that ticked by, that Mard Geer had to be the one.

* * *

 

Mard was nervous as they came to the spot Lucy had described. His palms were sweaty as his heart rate kept climbing up. Out here in total seclusion, in the dark, with such a beautiful woman. He had to be dreaming. Absolutely had to be dreaming and one of those dreams where he would wake up a small disaster.

She kept talking about the constellations, almost as if they were old friends to her. Mard was concentrating on the road, knowing that deer loved to come out and the last thing he needed was to hurt Happy. He got to the spot, put the car in park and turned off the engine, but leaving the battery on to have the radio play in the back drop.

To his surprise Lucy undid her seatbelt and slid a little closer to him. Mard followed her lead and slid towards the center, putting his arm up, she curled into his side. This felt wonderful and he longed to savor this moment for the rest of his life. Just the way the moonlight glowed on her, the sparkle in her golden hair, the warmth of her body and yes, he noticed the bit of cleavage.

The radio was playing Jazz that night, and Lucy sighed as she looked up at him. Something in her eyes caused Mard to act with ill manners and he tilted his head down and pressed his lips to hers.

He could taste the pizza on her as their lips relaxed against one another. This was Mard’s first kiss and his heart must have hit Ludacris speed at this moment. Lucy turned her body and managed to climb into his lap, straddling him as he placed his hands on her small waist.

Being adventurous and giving into the flaring hormones his body had decided to produce, he ran his hands up her back and opened his mouth a little. Mard had no idea what he was doing, but he had seen enough movies with kissing to get the gist of the concept.

It was timid for a few moments as their tongues tapped against each other. Then it was as if a load of fireworks went off inside of his chest as he cupped the back of her head and kept the long kiss going.

Lucy was moving in his lap and the friction was causing him to become hard. Mard tried to pull back but her hands gripped his shirt and pulled him back to her eager mouth. There was no resisting her demands and he was over his head, losing his gentleman’s grace to her passion. She felt so perfect moving in his lap against his body as they kissed under the stars.

It started as just a pulse, then a bit of a tingle until fire shot through his veins and Mard began to moan into her mouth as his eyes went wide. His body shook as he realized the saddest truth of his life, he just orgasmed.

* * *

 

Ram sat there with his mouth open and eyes wide for a moment before he began to laugh along with Rosebud. Mard just sipped his coffee, trying to not turn beat red of all the things to have to admit to your son.

“So, I came in my pants, what can I say, your mother is a very good kisser,” he said, trying to mask his eternal embarrassment. Rosebud looked at him and kissed his cheek.

“Luckily it has never been a problem since then,” she said.

“Ewwww, mom, gross,” Ram said before he looked back at Mard and started laughing again. “Crap I will never be able to look at dad the same way again.”

“Like father, like son,” Mard shot back, noticing how quickly Ram shut up and buried his face in his hands as he blushed. He was most proud of himself for that moment, even as Rosebud squeezed his hand.

“So, you are not the first guy it has happened to. It’s okay Rammie, I’m sure your date will understand,” she added.

“Seriously, mom how long did you tease dad about that?” he asked, finishing up his coffee and smiling. Mard was relieved to see his son looking so much happier than when he first came home.

Mard sighed, “who said she ever stopped.”

* * *

 

Picturing teenage Mard and Lucy was a blast, he's so awkward LOL I had fun writing this one and it was the first prompt for this week I wrote. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Thank you for the comments and kudos thus far and please support all of the other amazing authors contributing to MardLu Week.

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	6. Edict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> King Jude and Queen Layla have decided that it is time for Princess Lucy to marry. Though unlike their arranged marriage they have a different idea. A masked ball and let her choose the man who captures her heart.
> 
> Mard Geer is a servant in his own home, treated horribly by his step father and brothers, he longs to be free. As the edict for the ball arrives he hopes for this to be his chance and would make any kind of deal he can for the chance of happiness. Cinderfella AU

Lucy was on her way to breakfast with her parents when she noticed little things. The servants were in a flurry of activity, more so than normal. Fresh flowers and large banners of cloth were being carried through the hall. She had to step aside to avoid being run over by a fast-moving maid who was hiding behind a large vase of blooms. 

“Odd, is there a party?” she asked her faithful butler, Leo.

“No clue, Princess, no one tells me anything,” he said as he adjusted his glasses and side stepped a man pushing a cart loaded with wine. 

“Curious,” she said as they approached the conservatory. She loved having breakfast in here, often getting a chance to listen to her mother sing as her father played the piano. For being royalty, her parents had moments of not being traditional. They played with her and once when she was sick they canceled a State Dinner to take care of her. 

After many years of knowing other royal families Lucy knew she was very lucky to have her parents. Most royals didn’t devote so much love and attention to their children, let alone each other. Her parents married like most royals, arranged marriage but they were fortunate in that they were actually in love. It helped that the two kingdoms had been close and were blessed to have their eldest children as suitable matches.

The large oak door opened before her and she looked down to avoid the bright sunlight from hitting her in the eyes. The large glass walled room was warm, filled with various plants and musical instruments. It was not the most acoustically sound, but no one cared. Her parents sat at the little table near the far wall, her father amid laughter.

She glided to the table and curtsied before Leo pulled out her chair. As she sat down her father took her hand and placed a kiss on it, his large mustache tickling her. 

“Morning,” she said as she placed her napkin in her lap.

Her mother leaned over and kissed her cheek, “good morning starshine.”

Her parents traded a glance at each other before looking at her and Lucy was feeling slightly nervous. She was used to them always smiling but there was something about the gleam in their eyes, they were plotting. Her stomach dropped as her pulse quickened, finding herself feeling a small bit of dread.

“You noticed all the activity?” her father asked, and she nodded, reaching for her morning tea.

“Did you see the flowers?” her mother added and again Lucy nodded.

Her parents chuckled, “we made a decision,” her father said, and Lucy felt all color escape her face. 

“We are not going to do an arranged marriage for you, we were fortunate but too many others were not, and your mother does not believe in luck,” King Jude said and Lucy perked up considerably until her mom looked at him before looking at her.

“Instead we are doing a masked ball and you get to choose any eligible male from our kingdom to court and marry!” Layla exclaimed with a bright laugh.

Lucy’s brows shot up as her eyes went wide, “w-what?”

Her dad was grinning, “yes, it is a fair exchange. You get freedom of choice and we get to see you married soon.” 

Lucy was always astute and so she read between the lines. “W-who offered?”

Her parents’ faces fell as Jude pushed around his eggs for a few seconds. They looked at each other before he let out a breath, “King Acnologia’s wife recently passed before giving him an heir. He has sent missives here asking for your hand. The last one…”

Lucy dropped her fork, “if I do not marry him, he’ll demand my hand by ancient rite?”

Her father ran a hand over his face before he stood up and paced in front of the table. Her mother quickly grabbed her hand and held it. “Starshine, look at your mom. If you marry soon, he has no claim. I know the stories, we just couldn’t….”

The Princess sighed and pinched her forehead, mimicking the exact same motion as her dad. It wasn’t fair, but Lucy knew that her parents loved her so much they were doing what they could to give her a choice. Thanks to an old law across the lands, Lucy could be forced to marry an aging brutal king, or he had a right to go to war. Those laws needed to go but while the Kingdom of Chaos still had grand power and the largest army in all Ishgar, their hands were tied.

Her father stopped pacing and looked at her, she noticed the bags under his eyes and the increased brow lines. His lips were down, “we tried, please don’t be upset, we love you.”

Lucy’s heart broke to hear her father so forlorn, she knew this was not an easy decision. She knew there was a clock ticking and ultimately, they had a kingdom to protect and loved her very much. There was no doubt in that, if they didn’t, she would not be having a ball nor a choice. Lucy stood up and smiled at her father, moving to him with open arms. He embraced her, and Lucy sighed, “thank you, I’ll take a fairy tale dance and a chance of love than being forced. I love you.”

Her father kissed the top of her head as her mother came up and hugged them both. It may not be how she wanted to spend her eighteenth birthday, but she was going to give this a shot. Perhaps the Universe might be kind enough to help her out but as she held her dad a clap at the doorway broke her concentration.

The family looked over at the dark visitor in the doorway. He was one of the most frightening people Lucy had ever seen. Wild dark teal hair, tan skin, bared chest with scars across it, loose black pants and a large black steel sword attached to his hip. “Clever your majesties but I shall warn you, if she makes no decision by midnight, ancient rites and all...” He gave her a terrifying grin and Lucy shuddered, “save me a dance, pretty.”

Her father moved forward but as he did the man simply vanished in a plume of purple smoke. Lucy had heard that the Chaos King took the magic of dragons but to see actual magic, it left her feeling cold and nervous. Though if anything his little show also had the opposite effect on her and her mother.

The two women looked at each other, their eyes hard and jaws set. They exchanged a curt nod, “that jackass is not winning this,” Layla said and to Lucy’s surprise she found herself chuckling.

“Well if I get a say in it, mom,” she said.

* * *

 

Mard had already been hard at work as he readied the trays to take breakfast into the library for his family. Family, that was a loose term for the pack of rejects who were all but squatting in his home. 

As he adjusted the coffee cups on the tray he looked over at the small faded picture of his mother. He missed her and damn this land for forcing her to remarry to a man who only wanted her money. He kissed the tip of his finger and pressed it against the glass, “love you mom, have a good day in Heaven.”

Bells began to chime and moving quickly Mard had to grab the packed serving trays, least he be late. By the third chime he had one in each and the last one balancing on his head. He moved with practiced grace careful to not spill a drop. Mard navigated up the stairs, careful of Minerva, the large black cat of doom. 

The cat picked up her head and flicked her tail before rising to standing, she let out a small meow. Mard watched his feet, seeing the furball try to dart in front of him, he paused stepped to the side and narrowly missed her taking a swipe at him. He hated that cat and hoped one day she would not land on her feet.

Minerva played her game, trying to force the man to trip and spill the breakfast all over the carpet. He swore the cat was a sadist, relishing in causing people, well just him, pain. Walking down the large dark hallway he noticed a pair of silver candlesticks, that he polished the other day were missing. That was odd, and he had no idea where they would have gone. Perhaps he should mention it but then again, his step father would only seek to blame him.

Mard pushed open the door to the library, Minerva bouncing in front of him and crossing to her master. He put on his best smile as he looked at the collection of evil sitting around the table. At the far end was his step father, Zeref and he looked most displeased. 

“You are thirty-two seconds late,” he said, putting his antique pocket watch back into his vest.

“Apologies, step father,” Mard said as he set down the first tray in front of the youngest man at the table, Freed. 

“Thank you, Mard,” he whispered as Zeref glared at the emerald haired man.

“We do not waste good manners nor use the names of our help,” Zeref snarled as Freed fidgeted with his napkin. Mard looked at his step brother and a silent moment of sorry passed across his eyes. Freed was the nicest one of the group, usually giving Mard books and trying to keep the peace.

“Cinderfella is hardly help, it requires him to be helpful,” Cobra said. Mard ignored the comment, knowing full well that no one at this table would know how to feed themselves or light a fire without him. If he was not helpful, what does that say about the usefulness of his eldest step brother?

He also hated the nickname, knowing that Cobra had started calling him that as a demeaning term. Mard was not allowed a room of his own, instead having to sleep near the fireplace in the kitchen, often finding himself covered in ashes. Least until he sacrificed and hour of sleep to perfectly clean up the fireplace before he finally rested for the night. The name however would not go away.

Mard put the breakfast serving in front of the maroon haired man, having taken a small bit of pride in resisting the urge to have spat in the porridge. He took the final tray off his head and placed it before his step-father. 

He stood to the side, watching them dine on the food he had made, his stomach was protesting form the aromas. Mard rarely ever had enough time to eat before midafternoon. The sounds of breakfast filled the air before he watched his father dab the napkin to his lips.

“Cinderfella, I am missing two large silver candlesticks. Have you taken them?”

“No sir,” he said.

“Hmmm then perhaps it was Minerva,” he mused as he took a sip of his coffee. Mard kept a mask of impassiveness over his features and refused to shift his weight or fidget. This was not going to go well, “my own sons would not steal from me, so tell me Mard if it was not my cat nor my children, was it perhaps a ghost?”

“I do not know sir,” he said.

“Then perhaps a few lashings would jog your memory,” he said and Mard unconsciously shuddered.

“Father,” Freed said and Mard felt a moment of hope bloom up in his chest. Though it seemed odd for Freed to steal anything, he was the most pampered between the three. 

“My little boy, I know you incapable of theft or are you perhaps wishing to take the lashings for your spoiled brat of an ungrateful step brother?” Zeref asked.

“Yo, Greenie, quit while you ahead,” Cobra chuckled, “or still have your head.”

Mard watched as Freed’s shoulders dropped and he pulled at his cravat, swallowing hard. The usually pale man was turning a bit whiter as he dropped his head. “Sorry, Father, I would never question your wisdom or knowledge. It is your house.”

“See, one child understands his place in the world,” Zeref pushed his meal away, “I cannot eat this garbage, not when I thief under my roof.” Mard did not move, he would not take the bait. He needed to wait until all three were finish before he attended to the mess. Though by then the porridge would be ice cold and not ideal. It was still something to eat.

Mard watched as his father shifted in his seat, he moved to him to pull out the chair. Zeref grabbed his wrist and flashed him a grotesque smile, the kind that said pain was coming. The elder man tightened his fingers around Mard’s wrist and before the grip had tightened too much the front bell rang. His step father let go of him with a shove and Mard stumbled back but did not fall. 

Mard left the room at a politely hurried pace, grateful for the person who was ringing the bell as if their life depended on him moving faster. He slid down the banister enjoying the wind through his hair before he landed. He opened the large door, pulling on it with ease but noticing the small squeak in the hinge, he would need to oil that later.

He opened the door seeing a pink haired man with a large grin on his face wearing a Royal Uniform. “By Royal Edict, all eligible men of the household of marrying age are required to attend a masked ball in honor of Princess Lucretia Isabel Heartfilia!” 

Mard took a step back, all eligible men? That means, he has a shot, a chance to meet the princess and maybe escape this hell. The man pulled out a scroll from his satchel and handed it to him. Mard smiled at the man but that was short lived as the door was opened wider and the scroll snatched from his hand.

He looked over at Cobra who was grinning from ear to ear. “Gonna get me some princess snatch,” he half sang as he took off for the upstairs. Mard exchanged a nervous glance with the royal guard who glared at his step brother.

“Thank you, I am sorry about him,” Mard said.

The guard shrugged and grinned, “heh, I work with some real dicks too, not the royal family,” he said. Mard gave him a nod and closed the door, turning around he never saw Minerva and stepped on her tail, causing the cat to yowl. Her claws out she swiped at Mard’s shin and he managed to jump back before he would need to hem another pair of pants.

“Cinderfella!” his father roared as Mard finished staring at the furball of evil. He ran up the stairs, grateful that the cat was not trying to play the trip and kill him game. Then again it was only amusing when Mard’s arms were full.

He made it to the library and saw his father grinning as he looked at the scroll, “this is wonderful news, my sons,” he looked between Freed and cobra, “my handsome men have a chance at being Royalty.”

Mard coughed, “I can go too,” he said and Zeref pursed his lips.

Cobra snickered, “oh of course, cause who doesn’t want a dirty serving boy between their legs?”

Zeref held up his hand, “this is a royal edict, Cinderfella if you can find something to wear and finish your chores, of course you can come with.”

Cobra and Freed both wore similar expressions of shock, “f-father?”

“If, my precious boy…” Zeref said, a glint in his eyes and Mard understood the meaning.

“Yeah, if, good word dad,” Cobra added. 

Inside of Mard’s head he flicked off his step brother and said, “challenge accepted.” There was no way he was not going to take this chance and luckily hiding in the attic was an old beautiful suit he actual father owned. All he had to do was not sleep and work all night. Though a chance to escape and meet a Princess, he would do this. He must do this.

* * *

 

Lucy sighed as she looked over the dresses, they were all beautiful, but they just didn’t feel like her. None of this felt like her, where was the romance? The courtship? Being whisked off her feet and love at first sight?

She just didn’t want to think about this and as she nibbled her lip, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. Lucy tore through her closet, looking for her riding clothes. A carefree ride would lift her spirits and she adored her horse, Sagittarius. 

Lucy managed to get herself dressed and ready to leave her room when the door opened. Her father filled the doorway and he arched a brow at her before he started to laugh. “Like your mother,” he put his large hands on her shoulders and kissed her forehead. “Go have fun, but don’t take too long or I’ll pick out your outfit.”

Lucy laughed at her father before she got up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Thanks daddy.”

Jude smiled broadly at his daughter as he stepped to the side and let her pass. Lucy ran down the hallway on her way to the tables, trying to not crash into the busy servants. As she passed by the ballroom she paused taking a moment to look at the immaculate decorations. Her parents were pulling out all the stops for her birthday and she watched how men on tall ladders hung crystal stars from the ceiling. Large candelabras lined the walls, complete with beautiful dark navy candles ready to be lit for the night. Banners of crushed black velvet lined the ceiling giving an air of dancing under the stars. 

It was beautiful and romantic and for a small bit Lucy thought that yes, maybe she could have a little bit of that fairy tale romance. Someone to glide her out to the middle of the floor, dance with her and she would look up into his eyes and see her whole life. She let out a soft sigh at the thought trying to picture her dream man. 

A loud clanging knocked her out of her day dream right before he could kiss her, and Lucy flushed before she continued on to the stables. As she got outside, she breathed in the air and enjoyed the sunlight and warmth. Lucy didn’t see any clouds in the sky and kept thinking that this was a good sign. Beautiful day, enchanting party and tonight hopefully she will find that right someone and avoid marrying a cruel man.

“Hey, hey Princess,” the stable master, Bixy said to her. Lucy smiled at the wild haired tattooed man before she hugged him. “Hmmm…emergency ride?”

She chuckled, “yeah.”

“Got ya covered, your mom said she thought you’d need a day trip. Want some company?” he asked as he walked beside her. 

“No, I just need to think,” she said noticing how he pouted for a moment, she slapped his shoulder.

“Okay, give you like a few hours, then I’ll come find ya. Do me a favor, stick to the trails, cool?” he asked.

“I’ll try,” she said as she put on her riding gloves and he helped her up. Bixy lead them outside and with a grin to him he gave a loud shout and a quick flick to Sagittarius’ rear and she took off.

Lucy loved this, the wind through her hair, the sound of hooves hitting the dirt and the feeling of being absolutely free. This was her time and the longer she rode the more she let her worries drain from her. With a beautiful day like this and her birthday, the stars had to have aligned to grant her wish. There was no way that tonight would fail and somewhere out there was the right man for her.

After a while she realized that she was no longer on the usual trails and looking around she saw a large manor with a beautiful orchard of apple trees. Perhaps she could stop for a moment, be a bit naughty and snag an apple for her horse and herself. The burning in her thighs and the bit of saddle sore on her butt meant she needed a good stretch. 

She slowed down to a trot and came upon a beautiful apple tree, trying to stay out of view of the large manor. She didn’t recognize this land and the manor house looked a bit worn down, perhaps this was an abandoned orchard. Lucy got off her chestnut stallion and lead him, enjoying a few seconds of a good stretch.

Bright red large apples dangled before her and she jumped up to grab one. As she got her hand around it, something hit her in the back. She heard a man shout at her and it startled her. Lucy landed badly, her foot hitting a root and she landed, feeling her ankle twist. 

“Thief!” he shouted as she sniffled, holding her ankle. Suddenly long fingers were wrapped around her hands over her ankle and she looked up at a man who took her breath away.

He had large black eyes, deep indigo hair up high in a pony tail, pert nose, angled cheekbones and semi full lips. He wore simple servant’s garb, noticing the few patches on his tunic.

“Ow,” she said.

“Hold still, let me look,” he said, taking off her boot and running his fingers over her ankle. He moved her foot and she winced, “I am sorry, you gave me a fright.”

Lucy tried to not chuckle, “I gave you a fright? You have wonderful aim.”

He let out a soft laugh, “practice.”

He looked at her again and she noticed how his breath hitched, his fingers on her felt wonderful. Never in her life had she been so taken with a servant, well any man. “You should teach me.”

He pursed his lips as his cheeks filled with color, “your ankle, is just twisted.” He adjusted his position and put her foot up on his leg, elevating it a bit. “A few minutes and you should be fine, but you should go straight home and stay off of it.”

“Thank you…”

“Oh, Mard Geer, and you?” he asked, and Lucy blinked, he didn’t know who she was?

“L-Lucy, nice to meet you and I’m sorry but they looked so pretty,” she said. He reached over and grabbed the apple she dropped in her fall. He wiped it on his shirt and inspected it before handing it to her. Her horse pushed his nuzzle into her shoulder and she laughed before she handed it to him. 

Mard reached into his basket and handed her another apple, “this one is for you.” 

“Thank you Mard,” she said and noticed how he tucked a strand of hair behind his ear before he blushed again.

“You are most welcome. Beautiful day for a ride?” he said before he bit into his own apple.

“It is, needed to get out and clear my head,” she sighed.

He raised an eyebrow at her and she smiled, “want to talk?”

Lucy felt her heart leap as she watched him, he licked his bottom lip capturing a small bit of apple on it. She felt flushed to watch him and was delighted that he was just treating her like a normal would be apple thief. 

“Um, well, it’s complicated, family,” she managed to say.

“Family always is,” he agreed with a bit of a sigh as he tossed his apple core to the side. She could hear a bit of venom to his words and found her hand reaching out for his. His hand was a bit rough, but she didn’t mind, his touch on her ankle was remarkably gentle.

“Do you want to talk, Mard?”

He swallowed hard and she saw his Adam’s apple bob before he shook his head. “If I start talking, I may not stop,” he looked away, “no one talks to the  _ help _ .” Lucy noticed how the word help was spat out versus just simply said. Her heart broke he had to be a slave, but she knew that slavery had been the first thing her father abolished when he became king. Instead requiring all servants to be paid a modest wage and no longer obligated to work without their consent. 

She squeezed his hand, “I’m talking to you, just a girl in a field.”

He snorted, “you are anything but just a girl.”

Now Lucy felt herself turn red at his compliment and she tried to hide behind another bite of apple. She had been complimented many times in her life but this time, this time it was the sincerest one she had heard. “Thank you.”

They sat in silence for a few moments before she found the courage to speak again. As she opened her mouth he parted his lips to speak. “How is your ankle?”

“Oh, much better, I am probably taking you away from your work,” she said.

“This was a wonderful distraction,” he said with a smile. Lucy knew this was the kind of nice man she wanted in her life and she just couldn’t stop blushing around him. 

She winced when he slid her boot back on before he stood up in a fluid motion. Mard bent over and took her hands, helping her to standing. Lucy tried to put weight on the ankle, but it stung and she fell against his chest. Mard smelt like roses but she didn’t see any nearby and his chest was warm with a nice bit of muscle to it. 

“Okay?” he asked as he put his hands on her waist, their eyes not moving from each other. 

Part of Lucy wanted to be kissed, here under an apple tree, let this beautiful servant press his lips to hers or perhaps she could kiss him. He was gentle and gorgeous, part of her hoping that she would see him tonight but part of her knowing that this would most likely be the only moment she ever got with him. 

“Can I…” he started to speak and Lucy cut him off by leaning up on her toes, despite the protest from her bad ankle and kissed him. Her first kiss, it was light and soft, his lips warm pillows that tasted of apple and hope. She blushed as she looked into his wide eyes, his hand going to his lips. 

“Thank you, Mard, thank you,” she said.

“Thank you, Lucy, I shall be dreaming of this tonight,” Mard replied and Lucy smiled. 

He helped her to her horse, lifting her up easily before he paused and his face paled. “Mard?”

“You are Princess Lucy?” he asked his hand tracing over the royal crest.

Lucy nodded, “yes.”

“Oh no,” he wiped his mouth and dropped to his knees, Lucy rolled her eyes.

“Mard, look at me,” she said, and he looked up at her, she could see the fear behind his eyes.

“I hope to see you tonight, I will dance with you and I enjoyed our first kiss,” she said as she all but glowed, her lips still tingling.

He stood up and looked at her in awe, “first?”

Lucy gave him a sly smile as she readied to start her horse on the way home, “first.” Seeing him blush she felt satisfied at her first flirtation and brought her horse around to head home.

She wanted to look back at him over her shoulder, but she didn’t need to as she rode for a minute, when she heard the loud exclamation and his laughter. Lucy looked ahead and clicked her heels into her horse’s sides before she took off, the smile never left her face.

* * *

 

Zeref stood in the window, watching the scene under the apple tree. He had recognized the woman, golden hair and a horse that well bred too difficult to ignore. Minerva purred in his arms as he scratched behind her ear. 

How dare that lowly creature try to rob him of the opportunity of the century? No, Princess Lucretia would need to marry one of his natural born children, Cinderfella would not due. “Minerva, my pet, I think someone is trying to ruin my plans.” The cat hissed as he watched Cinderfella run across the field with his basket of apples and a smile on his face.

He set down his pet, the cat rubbing against his shin as he grabbed the whip. If Zeref remembered correctly he owed someone lashings for stealing his candlesticks. Well, he needed someone to blame, after all he would not let anyone know he had sold them to cover his debt. The Royal coffers in his grasp and two capable sons, Zeref cracked the whip as a slow dark smile hit his features.

* * *

 

Mard was a mess, his back broken and bleeding he saw his hopes and dreams crumble with each lashing. To make it worse, Cobra had found his planned suit and threw it into the fire. This was not right, the royal edict said, all eligible men. How could his step father do this to him?

How could life hate him so much?

He was on cloud nine after meeting Lucy today and believed her when she said that the kiss she took from him was only their first. Mard would kiss her again and again, if she let him. She was beautiful and sweet, treating him like a human being and not just the staff. The way her lips formed when she said his name had made his heart stop and breathing difficult. 

Now all of it was gone as he cried in the rose garden, his back burning as he shuddered. Blood soaked into his shirt, it began to stick to the wounds. A fresh batch of scars he would have but that didn’t matter. All that mattered was that he was not going to see Lucy again. His one chance to be free, gone.

Which God or goddess did he anger to deserve such a life and as he cried he prayed to his mom. 

There was a tingle in the air and he felt his head lifted, going from resting on stone to being in a warm lap. Soft fingers carded through his hair as he heard a whispered collection of swear words. Mard looked up and saw the most interesting looking woman he had ever seen.

She had large pale eyes almost white and swirling in pale colors, foreign markings down her arm and dark jewel toned hair. He had never seen clothing like this, pants made of the same material of boots and in purple with a black shirt that seemed to be missing most of it.

“Hallo, I’m Merlin, yer fairy godmother,” she said and Mard wiped his eyes, trying to convince himself he was dreaming. That he was delusional because he was in pain. 

“I-I have gone insane, this is a broken heart,” he managed to say as she chuckled.

“Nope, you’re too clever for that. Now, ye have a ball ta get to?”

“M-my back and…” Mard began to cry again as he thought of his father’s suit burning before his eyes. 

“Pish, easy peasy, global domination, tricky little scheme but I just need ta get you to a ball. Need a few things…”

Mard blinked as he stared at her, “wait if you are a fairy godmother, where is your wings and wand?”

The strange woman let out a laugh, “blimey what kind of fairy tale do you think this is? You sing with mice and birds too?”

Mard blinked several times, “w-well no, that would be awkward.”

“Alright, first thing, let’s get ya healed up. Nasty piece of work yer step-dad is,” she said as he hands started to illuminate in gold. He winced briefly when she touched the torn up skin but then sighed in relief as he felt warm all over his body. After several seconds Mard had felt like a whole new man. 

“Sorry old chap, can’t fix the scars,” she said tracing an old one with her finger, “hate wankers like him.”

Mard stood up and looked at her, he hugged her tight, even if this was she was going to do for him, she had done plenty. He could still run to the ball, maybe borrow one of Freed’s suits and skip a mask. 

“Oh no, it won’t do, come on we got more magic to make,” she said pulling away from him. 

Mard nodded, “okay, what do you need?”

She cupped one of his roses, “these are beautiful, your babies?”

“Y-yes, mother loved roses,” Mard said and then grimaced when she pulled a bloom from the bush. He watched as she chanted over it and before his eyes it became a beautiful carriage in the shape of a rosebud. 

“Wow…” he whispered.

“Hang on to your butt, I ain’t done yet,” she said with a devious grin to her face, making Mard simultaneously curious, worried and happy at the same time.

Merlin used all kinds of things, a few random mice to become horses, a random raven to be the carriage driver and a stray dog as footman. Mard was just simply in awe watching all the magic and laughed when she started going off about how bippity boppity boo was not a thing.

As he marveled over everything he saw her tilt her head to the side before she jumped up and snapped her fingers. “Oh, I know just the outfit for ya Mard Geer!” She rubbed her hands together and Mard noticed the tendrils of purple, black and silver magic wrap around him.

Mard didn’t have enough of a complex vocabulary to accurately articulate what he felt like as his clothing was changed and he felt his skin being cleaned, hair styled and something soft was laid on his face. He closed his eyes, mentally thanking his mom for sending him a fairy godmother. The servant wasn’t really a believer in God, but he believed his mother when she promised him, before death, that she would always watch over her little boy.

As he opened his eyes he saw Merlin standing beside a full-length mirror and he almost fell over in shock to see himself. She had changed him into a much more updated version of his father’s suit, even fixing all the tatters in the bottom hem of the long black coat. Every last detail was perfect, even the simple black mask, patterned with a vine of roses fit him well. 

His hair had never looked better, it even shimmered a bit in the moonlight, looking regal. The grey suit had been updated to a dapper three-piece suit with a white cravat, the vest a darker grey than the rest. The coat had large white cuffs and collar, the swirled pattern on it had been changed to only accent down the middle of the arms and along the coat opening, in a shade of black a bit lighter than the rest. Mard was stunned and never figured in his life he’d be dressed in such finery.

“Merlin, thank you,” he said as she tapped the mirror and it vanished.

“Rules, you have till midnight, then this all goes away. Except for the healing, that was just,” she growled, “right, but find your true love and keep the garb. The animals need to be animals again, cause this is kind of not fair to them.”

“I don’t know, I like this human thing,” the carriage driver said and both Mard and Merlin stared at him with similar expressions. “Corvus, sure I can’t keep it, being a Raven isn’t all that fun.”

“Yer serious?” she asked.

“Yeah, he’s right, this human thing is cool. I have thumbs!” the footman jumped off the back and held his thumbs up. “You know as a dog, I could never get the taste out of my mouth,” he waggled his brows.

Mard applied his palm to his face as Merlin chuckled. “What’s yer name?”

“Oh, Jackal! I think,” he said as he scratched behind his ear. 

“So Corvus and Jackal ya want to stay as humans?”

Both former animals nodded, “heck yeah, this is awesome,” Jackal said.

Merlin pursed her lips, “Mard, if I grant their wishes can you watch out for them?”

Mard let out a breath, trying to think through things, “uncertain. Zeref may have problems with me having new friends.”

“Here’s the deal, Mard gets the hell out of this nightmare tonight and ya can stay as humans, he doesn’t get him some Princess love and sorry.” 

“So, wait,” Corvus said, “if he gets laid, we cool?”

Merlin threw her head back and laughed, “that’s one way to put it but no, dun worry Mard you ain’t gotta pimp yourself to help out to save some stray animals. If MardLu happens, laid or not, you can stay cause then you’d all have a new home, fair?”

The two former animals nodded and Mard was ultimately confused, “Merlin, what is a MardLu? Were you all talking about relations?”

Merlin was quick to answer, “MardLu it’s what I’m calling this ship,” she waved her hand, “yes Mard, sex, but dun worry, you can save yer pretty self for marriage but gotta find love.”

She started pushing him into the carriage, “go, ya only got three hours!”

A perplexed Mard was shoved into the carriage as Corvus started the horses at a slow trot. He leaned out the window and waved at his fairy godmother. “Thank you, Merlin!”

“Yer welcome!” she shouted back before she vanished before his very eyes. 

Mard could not believe this night, just when everything was going wrong he was given a chance. He would never understand why or how it was that he got a fairy godmother but right now he didn’t care. There was a Princess who mentioned that there would be more kisses and Mard was determined to go and collect those.

* * *

 

“Was nice of you,” the woman said as Freed accidentally spilled his punch over his hand and not in the cup.

“I-it worked?” he asked as the woman took his hand and placed a kiss to the back of it before licking a little of the punch. Freed shivered as he looked at the masked woman. 

“Aye, now, for summoning me, ya have a debt to pay,” she said and Freed gulped. In his wildest dreams he never thought the ancient spell would work or that he had enough power to make it work. It was by luck he found the old book in a pawn shop, just sitting there practically calling his name. He became obsessed with reading it and learning about something called Rune Magic. 

All he had to do was draw the Runes in a certain pattern, chant a name and add in three drops of blood. It was not quite so simple, but he was desperate to help Mard. The poor man didn’t deserve any of the treatment he got after Mavis died and Zeref became vicious towards him. All because Mavis loved her son more, that was stupid. Freed loved Mard as a brother on impact when they first met and would do anything to help. 

Even agree to sell himself to, well she may not be a demon, Merlin. They made the contract, she would help get Mard to the party tonight, no matter what, then he would go with her. Freed’s hand was shaking as he set down the empty cup and looked at her. She was certainly beautiful, and he hoped she would be kind in whatever her wishes were. 

She tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, “oh, I can do gentle.”

Freed blushed wildly as her words and the husky tone of her voice. “Before we go, I want to see Mard.” Merlin chuckled and put her hands on his shoulders before spinning him around. Freed took a step back as he pressed his sticky hand to his chest. The man who just walked into the room looked like the very picture of elegance. He recognized the cascade of hair anywhere and the coat looked like the one Cobra burned. 

Above all he saw a smile on Mard’s face as he walked towards the center of the room and took the Princess’s hand. Freed sighed, he was such a romantic, but a deal is a deal and he looked at Merlin. “Thank you.”

“Dun thank me yet, wait till after yer naked,” she said with a wink. Freed felt as if his body was being pulled apart as a soft purple glow wrapped around him. 

He wished Mard all the happiness in the world as everything began to melt away, except for the woman holding his hand.

* * *

 

Lucy’s heart sank as she looked over at the clock, she lad just a hair over two hours to select a man or deal with King Acnologia. She kept hoping and wishing to see the servant she met earlier that day, but sadly he was nowhere. 

It wasn’t fair, the edict said all eligible men. That meant him too, so why wasn’t he here?

She noticed how people stopped moving and all heads turned towards the entrance. Lucy pushed her way forward, trying to be polite but anxious to see what had a room full of suitors stop and gawk. As she came to the edge of the group she saw exactly what had everyone’s attention and her eyes widened.

Lucy could recognize the heavy mane of dark purple hair anywhere and even with the mask she knew those eyes. Not caring she stepped forward and walked up to him, she hoped she didn’t look too tired or even too eager.

Lifting her delicate pink silk gown she curtseyed before the servant. He walked to her and bowed, the fluid motion pure poetry. Mard extended his hand and she took it, feeling his warmth through the white silk gloves. They moved to the center of the room, when the music started again. 

“You made it,” she whispered as he held her hand and placed another one at her small waist. 

“Nothing would have stopped me,” he said as he began the first few steps of the dance. There was something about the way he spoke that Lucy believed, this man was just as determined to be here as she was in wanting him.

“Did you come to collect?” she asked as he spun her out before pulling her back in. Lucy admired his grace, he danced better than most nobles.

“I did, but only if you are still offering more,.”

Lucy blushed as they took a few steps back before he dipped her. As she came up, she didn’t stop her momentum and despite the room full of onlookers, she leaned up and kissed him. A simple light kiss, just enough to create a small murmur in the crowd but not be too undignified.

He smiled at her before running his fingers down her cheek. “You enjoy taking things, do you not?” Mard teased.

Lucy giggled, “only your kisses and the occasional apple.”

Mard laughed as they continued to dance, “and my heart.” 

She arched a brow, “oh, now I must be a criminal mastermind.”

“Of course, I would not have you any other way,” he quipped and Lucy found herself grinning. He was just so different and didn’t treat her like she was made of glass or something. No, Mard Geer was a servant who knew how to treat her more like a Queen than anyone. All he had to do was just let Lucy be Lucy, not Princess or Royal anything.

When the music ended, Mard bowed to her and the crowd was still so silent until she heard a single clap. Stunned she looked up and saw a man walk towards them, something about his presence set the little hairs at the back of neck on end. Mard gripped her hand, “my step-father, the one who makes me a servant.”

Lucy blinked as the man bowed to her before turning towards her parents. They were sitting at the end of the room, Layla holding Jude’s hand. She caught the wistful look from her mother and gave her a nod before smiling and pointing to Mard. 

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Zeref Dragneel, Duke of Alvarez. I have to apologize for this display,” he said before he bowed to her parents. Lucy wasted no time pulling Mard towards them but as she brushed by Zeref, he grabbed Mard’s arm.

Immediately the King and Queen moved towards them and Lucy looked at her mother with pleading eyes. Her parents stood before Zeref and Mard, their eyes hard and jaws set.

“You see, this is Mard Geer, he is a servant and thief in my own home,” the room started to fill with whisperings and Lucy noticed how people were now pointing. Mard’s cheeks pinked as his mouth fell open but something in his eyes showed fire and pain. Zeref ripped off his mask and shoved Mard down to his knees. “I have given him everything but he is without much wit. I do not know how he arrived here and I will escort him back home. I am sorry Princess for this embarrassment or that his sullied lips touched yours.”

Lucy looked at Mard, she saw his bottom lip tremble as Zeref’s hand on his shoulder tightened. The servant flinched under the grip and Lucy clenched her fist. She was ready to say something when Layla stepped forward. Her mother extended a hand to Mard and helped him up, Zeref did not move his hand.

“Your Grace…”

“Oh shut up!” Layla roared, “let him go or so help me I will strike you.”

“He is my property…” The sound of Layla’s hand against his cheek was deafening and the look of surprise on his face as his head swung around was enough to make Lucy chuckle. 

“He is a man, we do not treat people as property. The Edict said all eligible men, unless you tell me he is married, it includes him too,” she said her voice as stern as Lucy ever heard it. 

“Please understand your Grace, I was thinking of the Princess and her honor,” Zeref said as he rubbed his cheek.

“No, enough step-father,” Mard said, “you were only thinking of you and your coffers.”

“Excuse me,” Jude said as he stepped away from her. The King placed a large hand on Mard’s shoulder and Lucy saw him flinch again. She’d only seen that behavior out of horses that had been whipped or abused too many times. “Mard Geer?”

Mard bowed, “yes, your excellency.”

Jude laughed, Lucy knew he hated formal titles, “Word of warning, Lucy is just like her mother, son.”

“Son?” Mard looked at her and Lucy was all but jumping on the balls of her feet.

“Well soon to be, I believe my crazy daughter was kissing you earlier,” he leaned towards Mard and whispered something Lucy did not hear but when Jude finished Mard was laughing as he walked over to her.

He took her hand and kissed it, “on the words of your father, we should leave. Apparently this is not going to be pretty.”

“No true man ever treats his child, blood or otherwise like that, Duke.” Jude said and Lucy nodded before she gulped. She knew that tone of voice and with her mother already angry, she was determined to take him out of the room. 

Lucy lead Mard through the crowd, towards the back entrance as her mother started one of her impassioned speeches about human decency. They got into the hallway and Lucy spun around to look at him.

Mard took off her beautiful little golden mask and to her surprise, this time it was he who stole the kiss.

* * *

 

Rosa sat up in the bed wide eyed as Lucy closed the book. Her hands were shaking as she traced over the engraved word “Cinderfella.”

“And that my little Rosa, is the true story of how I met and fell in love with your grandfather.” Lucy said as the little dark haired girl hugged her Prince Teddy.

“Grandma, is true love always like that?” she asked as Lucy struggled to rise from her rocking chair.

“No, ours was and I loved him until the day he died, he was a good man, good king, great father and the best piece of my heart.” Lucy whisked away the tear as she tucked little Rosa into bed. Her granddaughter hugged her, her little arms trembling and Lucy enjoyed it. She kissed the little girl before slowly making her way out of the room.

Lucy managed it back to her room and as she looked at the soft bed, she missed her husband even more. Removing her house robe she curled into bed and turning to her side, she saw the most amazing view ever. Her beloved Mard, laying on his side staring at her with all the love he held. He was young again and she felt his hand touch her cheek.

“It’s almost midnight, Rosebud,” he said and Lucy swallowed the choked sob. She felt his warm lips on her before he told her to not be afraid. She wasn’t, she was excited after all these years, Mard would steal her back.

Queen Lucretia Isabel Heartfilia-Tartaros died that night but the legend of Cinderfella lives on.

* * *

*hands out tissues* yeah I cried and no idea why my muse went that direction.

Comment and kudos please!

 


	7. Coffee

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mard Geer is no longer amused by tea, when his only friend introduces him to coffee he discovers not just one but two addictions. The beautiful blonde reading at the coffee shop might also be his new favorite thing.
> 
> This is a long one shot, so settle in.

Mard leaned back in the chair as he set aside his book, placing it carefully on the little table beside him. That book could never be outside his reach, it was too valuable. He watched as the imps set up the tea service, the smell of rose hips tea tickling his nose.

Though he despised the beverage as of late, not finding it to be robust enough for his palette. It had gotten old, all the flavors of dark tea, light tea, green, black, and white. It felt like nothing but leaves and bark, just heated. Mard had even tried cream, sugar, honey, and various liquors but tea was no longer to his liking.

It was a strange moment to realize that he was bored. A peculiar emotion he hadn’t recalled ever feeling before. He looked at the black and gold leaf tea set, his lips pursed as he analyzed this sentiment.

Almost 400 years old, Mard had not felt this way before and certainly not about something so minor. A hot beverage was giving him a sense of boredom. Perhaps it wasn’t the only thing that had him experiencing this mindless emotion. If he had to go through his memories to pinpoint everything else he would be sitting here for a long time. He slid a glance at the book, that little mystery still needed to be solved and an old command needed to be fulfilled.

Later he could solve it, though he had given himself six months to finalize his plans. He glanced towards the large ornate hourglass nestled between two of his flesh eating roses and knew that soon his company would be here. Everything should be in order for her visit.

The word for his visitor was friend, that much he knew based on the several hundred years they had known each other. Being King of the Underworld did not give him much time for what could be a normal social life but he made time for the insane plane hopper. After all it is hard to say no to a woman who could destroy his perfection, though it was not her style.

He felt reality ripple as her power filled the garden and he raised his slender hand over his eyes to block out the flash of light.

“Oi,” she said, her voice light and friendly.

“Merlin,” he said as he stood up and readied himself for the full body contact she insisted on. It was called a hug, and only she had permission to greet him in such a way. Not even Jackal was allowed to hug him, well not since the first time Mard contracted fleas from the unwashed mutt.

Merlin was dressed (if he could call it that) in a pair of pants that seemed to be missing most of the legs, a shirt that had holes in it dripping off of one of her shoulders and the words “Guns and Roses”. Whatever guns were but he never bothered to questioned her clothing choices, knowing that she travelled to a great many different planes and cultures. Her dark jewel toned hair was down and straight with the ends tipped in a hot pink.

She hugged him and Mard could admit it was enjoyable, just never out loud, though he knew his friend could read his mind. So he never had to admit anything about how he could possibly feel towards her nor what he really thought. Somehow she still liked talking to him and made regular visits.

“What’s wrong old chap?” she asked and Mard blinked.

“What makes you ask such a thing, Merlin?” Mard went to pull out the other chair for his guest. It was polite afterall.

She pointed to her head for a moment before chuckling. “You're mentally distraught, like a ship having a terrible time at sea.” Merlin took the seat and let out a soft sigh as she looked at the tea set.

Mard walked to the other side and took his seat again. “Merlin, you are older than me. How..” he took in a breath and put his hands on the table.

“Yer bored, Mard except for when ya have to, when do ya ever leave the Underworld? How often do ya get out? When was the last time ya got laid?” she asked.

Mard leaned forward, had the crude questions come from anyone but her, he may have decapitated them by now. Instead he rested his chin in his hand as his free one played with the burgundy napkin beside it. He considered his options but knew that being less than truthful was not ideal and with Merlin being a telepath he couldn’t stop her from finding the answers.

“No, I do not leave the Underworld, do not usually have time to leave my castle as it’s all meetings and kingdom needs and I have not properly bedded a demoness in…” he looked down at the napkin and noticed her slim hand covered in a Runic Sigil tattoo over his.

“Since Jai,” she whispered and Mard nodded. He couldn’t say her name out loud, his throat would not work and liquid would come out of his eyes at certain reminders of the demoness.

“Almost a hundred years then,” he managed to say.

“You dun want ta be hurt again, I understand,” Merlin squeezed his hand for a moment before letting go.

Understand she did, Merlin was with him when they returned to the Underworld from the Planar Conference. As he walked into the throne room he found it destroyed. Jai was perched on his throne, her head held up by dead rose vines and her chest ripped open with the organs piled at her feet. Mard had screamed as he saw the words behind the throne written in blood, “ _nichtolia vertnog_.” Not worthy. From there his subjects would remember the month of slaughter he gifted the people as he sought out to genocide an entire species of demons.

Merlin culled back his darkness before he finished his work. Though it was against her very nature to stay somewhere for too long or get involved in Planar politics, she broke those rules to heal his mind. It worked and Mard Geer enjoyed years without emotions, only for the last few months to begin to feel a fleeting tick of something. His resolve or perhaps his clever mind was cracking.

“Mard, how much do ya trust me?” she asked and he was surprised. That was an idiotic question. Merlin laughed, “right, good answer. Come now, hop to it.” She stood up and pulled on his hand.

Mard arched a brow and calmly rose from his chair, listening to the iron legs scrap against the stone. “You have my attention, what are you thinking?”

“Step one,” she snapped her fingers and Mard noticed his clothing had changed. He looked down at the black shirt, it was tight against his upper body with short sleeves and was lacking a proper collar or buttons. From what he gathered his pants were called jeans and they were a little tight around his hips and in white. Not his favorite color, his least favorite color if he had to pick one.

“What is this?” he asked, a bit confused.

“Step two,” she waved her hand and his precious book vanished, Mard growled, “relax, tis in your bedroom, on a shelf, and invisible.”

“Merlin…” he warned.

“Come on, ya wanker. We are going for coffee, roasted beans pulverized and steep with water. Bitter and rich, you’ll like it,” she said with a grin on her face.

“I must look undignified for this?” he asked and she nodded.

“Ya look damn polished for where we are going, remember trust me,” she said and though Mard was balking at the very nature of this whole thing, he nodded. Merlin was insane, something he verified years ago, she often had a method for her madness.

Mard was not a fan of Plane Shifting but Merlin was a master of it and this trip was one of the shortest he had experienced. It felt akin to just taking a walk to the castle’s library. As he opened his eyes, he adjusted to the bright light all around him. Merlin put something in his hand and following her lead he put them on his face. Instantly the world was no longer as bright and his eyes no longer annoyed.

“Sunglasses, brilliant little invention, come now, keep up,” she said as Mard did not recognize the area he was in.

It was busy with humans walking all over the place, the air lighter and cleaner than the sulphur tinged and demon scented air of his world. Brightly colored buildings lined a street, many with glass windows decorated with lifeless human vistages dressed in… well those might be clothes. Merlin walked through the crowd and he noticed how the females would stare at him. A male had whistled at him and Mard not knowing the custom simply pulled his shoulders back and kept walking.

He had no clue where he was, but Merlin seemed to know the area, least he believed she did. They passed by a flower shop and for a moment Mard stopped to look at the roses. The roses bloomed in colors he hadn’t seen before and how did they create one in colors like a rainbow. This was a kind of magic that he should look into or perhaps just unique breeding. For a moment he considered walking into the shop to ask about how they treated the flowers, but he was here for a reason.

Mard continued to follow his friend as she made what looked like random turns until she stopped. He took in a breath and found his eyes closing shut as he took in the aroma of something dark and robust. The smell alone was pushing back his boredom and he discovered that he might be enchanted.

“Here we go, The Comfy Nook,” Merlin said as she pushed the door and he heard the jingle of little bells.

As they walked in he was assaulted by the the delicious scents in the air and his lips began to quirk up on their own accord. Merlin took off her sunglass and he did the same, looking around the place it was quiet. Couches against the wall with small tables covered in brightly colored clothes. Layout of small square tables and mismatched chairs all over worn dark wood floors. The walls accented in brightly colored art and photographs of various people. He saw barrels filled with little dark beans, holding up little signs that said things like, Minstrel Sun Roast, Fioroian Rich Roast, Death Punch and Today’s Special Red Velvet Cupcake.

He didn’t see anyone else here and was glad for the quiet as Merlin walked over to a counter lined with machines, glass jars of confections and other small trinkets. She pursed her lips as she looked up at a board that had a multitude of things he did not recognize. Cappuccino, espresso, latte, cold brew, frappe and other things like warm chocolate brownie.

“Two venti Minstrel Sun Roasts,” she said.

“Cream, sugar, almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, honey, Stevia?” the small girl behind the counter asked. Merlin looked back at him and Mard shrugged, he had no idea what to say.

“Black is good, thanks,” Merlin replied and he watched how she handed the woman a few pieces of paper. He believed it must have been their currency.

“Your boyfriend is hot,” the girl whispered.

“Just my friend, he’s quite single.”

Mard watched how the girl dropped the cup and blushed wildly. He arched a brow and smirked, was to be expected. After all he had handled plenty of demonesses, demons, the rare angel and other beings throwing themselves at him. Why should humans be any different? Far as he knew they were the weakest of the many species he had ever met, well barring mages.

Merlin pointed to a table and Mard took the hint, he started walking over to it when the bells on the door twinkled and he turned to look. She had hair the color of the sun and eyes a deep rich brown. Her figured was extremely impressive for a human and she wore little by way of human attire. A short purple dress that stopped at mid thigh with a cowl neck that plunged a little low, gracing a bit of a view of her breasts. This woman held a thick tome in her hands and he looked at the wording on it, “History of Torture Methodology.” _Interesting._

Their eyes met and for a moment Mard had to mentally remind himself to breathe. She sucked in a breath and he watched how her eyes opened a bit wider for a second as her lips formed a soft oh. A delicate flush graced her skin as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before she discontinued looking at him. A sound may have escaped Mard, perhaps a sigh he thought as he let his gaze linger on her as she walked with grace and a sultry roll of her hips.

The sound of fingers snapping by his ear had his attention and Merlin pressed a paper looking cup into his hand. He looked at it, the color like the woman’s eyes but the aroma was perfection.

 _Mard, yer being rude, sit down, stop ogling_ , Merlin said into his head.

He nodded dumbly and listening to his friend he took a seat. Mard made sure to grab one where he could watch the blonde that held his attention, without being obvious. Merlin held a devious smile to her lips as she blew over the steaming cup. Not quite understanding the ritual he did the same before he took a sip.

Bold.

Heady.

Rich.

Bitter.

Complex with a bit of acidity to it but smooth. As the hot liquid danced over his tongue he found heaven. This was truly better than tea, it was one of the best things he had ever tasted.

Merlin chuckled, “knew you would like it. You’re smiling.”

Mard blinked and set down the coffee, this wondrous elixir and he put his hand to his lips. Indeed he was smiling and his eyes shifted over to watch how the blonde woman was walking to one of the couches. The way she moved, it was beautiful and he wondered what she was thinking about.

Merlin gave him a short nod and Mard sat back as he quietly let his telepathy out and gently poked at the woman’s mind.

Her mind was off in a bunch of directions, something about bills, something called Natsu, a fairy tale, her latest dissertation on Quasar wave frequencies and a chapter in a book she was writing. She was named Lucy Heartfilia, but he didn’t think that name suited her. He also felt a not unfamiliar energy around her, Celestial and he frowned for a moment.

“What?” Merlin asked, as she tilted her head.

Mard scowled briefly, “she is a celestial.” Go figure, a beautiful woman with a complex busy mind and she’s a celestial mage. He was starting to not like this trip, until he took another sip of this coffee.

“And?”

He swallowed, “she works for Pompous Ass, that is a problem.”

Oh right,” Merlin laughed, “cause of the dance off. He needs to stop being a pillock about dat.”

It was the Planar Conference fifty years ago, Merlin brought this thing called a video game, named Dance Dance Revolution. After several bottles of spirit wine they thought it an excellent to play. Also a wager to see who would be known as Lord of the Dance. There was an accident and Leo had spilled wine on the dance mat, causing the moustached king to slip and fall. That let Mard easily win the competition and Pompous Ass was not amused, “that will never happen…”

“True, but why would her magic stop you?” she asked and Mard pursed his lips, “you should go talk to her.”

He took another sip of this fine drink and looked into the pale eyes of his friend. This was insanity that he would consider it but maybe if it would stop this boredom. “What would I say?”

Merlin grinned, “hello, try that ya twit.” He looked back into his coffee cup noticing it was half way done. Mard would need more of this coffee soon and then he would need to bring it back to the Underworld.

His friend leaned back and she looked at the clocks under her forearm. “Look, I’ll make you a deal.”

Now that had his attention, “this should be interesting, if not dangerous because it is you.”

Merlin smiled, “I will give ya money to stay here and drink coffee, I will bring ya a barrel of coffee beans and the means to produce this brew in the Underworld, if you go over and talk to her.”

Mard narrowed his eyes for a moment as Merlin simply reached into her pocket and put a stack of that paper currency on the table. She pushed it forward, “there’s always a method to my madness.”

“Merlin?” Mard asked, he was starting to feel as if this was a set-up of some sort.

“Mard, trust me. Take the deal and when ya spend the last of the Jewel you can go home.” He took another drink of coffee, intoxicated by it’s very taste and how it pleased his senses.

“My kingdom will not be happy if their king disappears for a few hours,” he said.

“Now yer makin excuses, just, try again,” she said and he knew exactly what she meant. “Besides, think of all the coffee you have yet to try.” That got his attention and looking around the shop and back to their board of options, there was much about coffee he had not explored.

Not thinking he looked to the side and saw how Lucy was curled up on the couch, reading. She was simply stunning and at that second she happened to look up over the pages. Another meeting of their eyes and Mard found himself unconsciously smiling again. He returned his attention to Merlin who was standing up and as her hand hovered the bills he snatched them.

“Deal,” he said and Merlin’s face lit up before she suddenly vanished. With a stack of Jewels, that he put into his pocket, Mard took a second to gather his courage before he went to order more coffee and talk to the gorgeous woman studying torture.

* * *

 

Merlin was giggling as she popped into the Celestial Realm. She walked along the translucent pathway that lead to The Celestial Spirit King’s throne room. Her steps light and quick, she was practically dancing as she approached the large golden doors before the throne room. The immortal mage snapped her fingers and the doors opened for her.

“Merlin?” he asked as he sat up in his throne and all Merlin could do was grin. This was too perfect. She loved annoying the stuffy king, only because he used to be more fun years and years ago. One day she’ll set him right as rain, just one friend at a time.

“Stache, guess who I introduced to whom?” she asked letting a devious grin pull at her lips.

“I have no interest in your hijinks,” he said daring to wave her off.

“Tsk, tsk,” she said as she skipped up to the throne, “ya know better than to act like a damn wanker in front of me.”

“Do we want to know what you’re up to now Merlin?” Leo asked as he came up to her and bowed. He took her hand and placed a kiss to it, he was always the smoothest of the spirits and she was happy to see him welcomed home.

“Little matchmaking of one of my favorite people and one of yours,” she said and internally counted as she waited for someone to figure it out.

In her head she got to seven when the king stood up and huffed, “you didn’t.”

“Mard Geer Tartaros and Lucy Heartfilia, bloody brilliant, ya?” she said letting out a peal of laughter as the Spirit king began to turn red.

Leo’s eyes went wide as the king slammed his fist down on the arm of his chair, “how dare you?” he roared at her and Merlin quickly found her grin fading.

“I dare whatever in the bloody nine hells I feel like, Stache,” she growled. “Now, you will sit on that large ass of yours and hear me out. Like it or not the fate of Earth Land rests on a cup of coffee.”

“Say that again, please Merlin,” Leo asked and she could see the concern in his face.

“I meddled, I dun like doing it but it was for a good cause, so I made an exception.” This was true Merlin hated solving other people’s problems and believed that people should handle the consequences of their follies. However, her friend had been slowly dying inside for years and she felt him growing darker and crueler. She knew he was up to something nefarious and needed to put a stop to it, by any means necessary.

“Go on, why would you take one of the most loved and powerful Celestial mages and put her in front of Mard Geer of all people?” the king asked.

“In a word ya can’t argue…” she looked around the room noticing how now all the spirits had gathered and were waiting with held breaths, “soulmates.”

* * *

 

Lucy had not been having much luck lately, missions falling apart, Natsu more out of control, her bills piling higher and recently she was passed over for the S-Class trials, again. Even her muse stopped talking to her and her latest research paper was gaining little attention. She was certain she was cursed but according to Cana’s cards she wasn’t.

Yesterday, she checked her mail and found a light purple envelope in it. When she opened the envelope inside was a coupon to enjoy a whole day of free coffee (up to fifty Jewel) at The Comfy Nook. It was good for today only and Lucy figured it might be good to enjoy a change of scenery as she studied something grim while taking notes for her novel. It might have also been more notes for her in how to handle the next time some asshole kidnaps her.

The little card had been a simple blessing and her spirits felt a little lifted to receive such a nice gift. Though she had no idea who sent it but when she called the business, they confirmed the card was good based on the little numbers on the bottom. Normally she wouldn’t worry about dressing up just to sit in a coffee shop but something kept telling her to put on a little glam and live it up today.

It took her a bit to find the place, as it just opened a couple months ago. Though she enjoyed walking in the sunshine and just feeling positive for a change. All of that changed when she walked in and looked at the most attractive and exotic man she had ever seen. Goddess above he was striking and that ass wrapped in tight white jeans, holy moly!

Deep purple, thick, and lush hair pulled into a ponytail, bangs framing a sharp angular face with high cheekbones, large black eyes and semi full lips. His shoulders weren’t overly broad but she could tell he was fit, that tight black t-shirt was not hiding much. She blushed on impact as he looked at her and for a moment she wondered…

No, she was certain she was being silly. Especially when she saw the exotic and beautiful woman walk up to him with coffee. Of course he would be here with a girlfriend or something, how does a man that hot not be taken?

Lucy tried to not stare at him but that was hard, even trying to order coffee was difficult. As she took a seat she noticed him trying to subtly check her out and Lucy had no words. Instead she tried to play it cool and pick a comfortable couch and set to her reading.

“Hello,” a smooth baritone voice said and Lucy looked up from her section about the rack.

It was him and she tried like hell to keep her jaw shut and not drool, “he-hello.”

“I was wondering if,” he let out a breath, “I could join you.” Lucy was stunned, he wanted to join her? He also seemed nervous. That never happened to her, most men just didn’t pay all that much attention to her.

“Y-yes,” she managed to spit out as he pulled out a chair and took a seat. Lucy sat up and turned her attention to the handsome man sitting across from her.

They sat in a bit of an awkward silence as he sipped his coffee. Lucy was getting nervous, why wasn’t he talking to her? Maybe she should…

“I apologize, I ummm…” his voice trailed off, “am not used to this.”

Lucy blinked and tilted her head to the side, “what do you mean?”

“I,” he ran a hand through his hair, “I haven’t tried to speak to a beautiful woman in about a hundred years.”

Lucy raised her mug to her lips, trying to hide the soft laugh and smile she had.”You don’t look a hundred years old.”

He smiled, “I’m actually closer to four hundred.”

She was glad she had not actually sipped coffee as she started fully laughing, the man was funny. As she set her mug down, she noticed he looked absolutely confused by her. “Seriously?”

“Yes, what good would it do to start a conversation off by lying?” he asked as he took a sip of his coffee.

“You really don’t look that old, are you a mage?” she reckoned it was possible to have a mage that old. There was so much about magic and the different types that she didn’t know and one day she would travel more and learn more. Though most of her focus was on her own magic and other things she needed to learn.

“Demon, King of the Underworld actually,” he said. At this point Lucy was certain he may have been a mental patient. Then again looking at him, maybe she could handle crazy just for a few hours. Oh this might be good for another book, she could really borrow this moment for a later scene and write about a mentally ill character.

“That is rather rude, I assure you I am not mentally ill,” he said and she slapped her hands on the table. She glared at him and he looked perplexed.

“Were you reading my mind, whatever your name is,” she asked, letting her voice drop a bit lower than normal. Maybe her curse theory was indeed correct and of course the hot guy who noticed her would be a fucking telepathic psychotic.

“Mard Geer Tartaros, King of the Underworld and yes I am telepathic, Lucy,” he said the words and she noticed how he frowned. “I am ruining this, am I not?”

He seemed a bit forlorned as he looked down into his coffee cup with his shoulders dropping just a bit. If he was correct, then perhaps he really didn’t know how to speak to a human woman. Then again for all Lucy knew he was just trying to charm her so he could boil her alive and eat her or something. Mard shuddered a bit as he shook his head, she heard the sound of the chair sliding on the floor and without thinking she reached for his hand.

Their eyes met again and Lucy wasn’t certain why but she felt comfortable around him. She could see so much in his black orbs, mostly just how lost he was. Perhaps coffee with a demon wouldn’t be such a bad thing and if he’s a king, that could be interesting. Even if he was just a very sexy crazy man, well maybe a little kindness might help him or maybe she could help convince him to find help.

“Let’s say you’re being truthful and you are a four hundred year old demon king. I also assume you don’t know much about humans, then?” she asked and noticed how he stopped moving and kept his gaze fixed on hers.

“Not really, the woman I was with is the closest I have to a human friend and she is older than me,” he said.

Lucy blinked, damn she needed to figure out how immortality worked. She could have sworn that woman was the same age as her, maybe a couple years older but over four centuries, what the hell?

“Okay,” she nibbled her bottom lip and smiled, “so why are you in Magnolia?”

Mard tipped his coffee mug to her, “I was bored with tea and Merlin brought me here.”

Lucy laughed, “you’re trying coffee because you were bored with tea?”

“Yes, we do not have this in the Underworld,” he said and she noticed how he relaxed a little more. She also noticed how her hand was still on his and somehow she just had no desire to move her hand. The simple contact just felt right, it was strange to her.

“Well I guess that’s a bonus for Earth Land then. Have you never visited here?” she asked, figuring there was no harm in keeping this conversation going. Least she hoped there wasn’t any harm.

“Not really, being a Planar ruler does not allow for much vacation,” he said as he tipped back the coffee. Wow, she had never seen someone go through it like him. She decided to take another sip of her latte.

“Planar Ruler?” she asked.

“For instance, Pompous Ass,” he smirked, “or the Celestial Spirit King, is…”

Lucy laughed and put her hand up, “wait you call Stache Face, pompous ass?”

Mard put a hand over his mouth as she listened to him chuckle, it was a nice warm sound. “It was completely fitting for the being, though I do like Stache Face. My friend who was with me, Merlin, once threatened to shave it off if he did not pull the stick out of his ass.”

She threw her head back and laughed, loving how hilarious this was and yes, Stache did have a stick up his ass. It also clicked into place for her, holy shit, Mard may actually be telling the truth. Lucy might be sitting in a little coffee shop enjoying a laugh with a demon king of hell.

“Underworld, Hell is a different plane, run by a regent named Lilith,” he corrected and Lucy shot him a glare.

“Mard, reading minds is rude,” she said.

He blinked, “how so?”

“Invasion of privacy, no one likes to have their mind violated. Those thoughts are personal,” Lucy said and he pursed his lips.

“My apologies, it is a natural talent and you do broadcast your thoughts,” he retorted.

“What do you mean by broadcast?” Lucy was truly curious, she didn’t quite know how mind readers worked.

“You have surface thoughts and inner thoughts, without proper shielding your surface thoughts just come out and with my telepathy I just hear them as easily as hearing the young woman at the register talking on the device to her friend,” he said, “inner thoughts I have to extend out my power to listen to them or to speak directly into your mind.”

Lucy was stunned, she had never heard such an open and unique dialogue about telepathy and different types of thoughts. That had earned the sexy man across from her a few more respect points. “So how do I shield from it? Can’t you just turn it off?”

“Can you turn off your ears without filling them with a plug? Can you turn off your eyes without putting something over them?” he asked.

Her eyes went wide for a moment as she slumped back a little, pursing her lips she considered his questions. Though what she loved most about this was how quick and sharp of mind he was. This was going to be interesting even if the jury was still out on over if he’s crazy or a demon king. Mard didn’t look like a demon, he looked like pure sin and sex. Oh sex, damn…

He smirked at her and she felt the heat rise on her cheeks, “br-broadcasting again?”

Mard nodded, “though, do not worry, the woman who prepares the coffee has had much more lewd thoughts. Quite loudly, at that.” Lucy giggled as she shook her head.

“For a king, shouldn’t you have more social tact?” she asked and he sat back, his hand around his little paper coffee cup.

“Underworld, different society, different norms. Also I do not believe in lying, it is a disgrace to the mind and achieves nothing,” he said.

“Fair points, well maybe you could try to leave out the commentary on my loud thoughts. Wait, didn’t your friend teach you better manners with humans? What about other Planar Rulers?” she asked, her voice rushed as she was finding this too interesting to ignore. Just the concept of different planes aligned with String Theory and the gears of her scientific self started spinning.

“How about another round of coffee and I shall answer the questions?” he asked with a soft smile on his face. She noticed he was looking a bit more relaxed, maybe this was good for him. It certainly was becoming good for her, then again just to have someone so different to talk to was wonderful.

“What were you drinking?” he asked as he stood up in a fluid motion.

“I can get it, I won a free day of coffee today,” she said with a smile as she pulled out her little card from her purse. Lucy stood up and to her surprise Mard held out an arm for her. She wrapped her hand around his firm bicep and internally purred. His skin was very soft and stars above, did he smell like roses?

“That is another conversation and I owe you answers, after we achieve more coffee,” he said as he led her to the counter.

Lucy giggled, “acquire, not achieve more coffee.”

Mard looked at her for a moment, “in my native language the word is _errechizen_ the translation works.”

“Errechicken?” she asked. The way he said the word was unusual, it was harsh with a bit of a growl around the “r’s”.

Mard smiled at her, “that was abysmal, _Infernai_ is a complex language and you just butchered it.”

Lucy looked at her toes for a moment, “sorry, Mard.”

He lifted her hand off of his arm and to her surprise he placed a gentle kiss to her knuckles. “You missed the joke in my statement, I do hope you are going to apologize for that.”

Lucy caught the light dance in his eyes, she could tell he was humored and was only trolling her. She shook her head and noticed the woman behind the counter was just staring at them. “We should order our coffee,” she looked at the barista, “another mocha latte please.”

As Lucy handed her the card, the lightbulb went off in her head. Infernai and Mard was a demon from the Underworld and abysmal is extremely bad or like an abyss. She started chuckling as the joke made sense, it was a wonderful little bit of wordplay.

She felt his breath by her ear, “I think someone just got the joke.”

“I did,” Lucy laughed as Mard ordered another coffee. He had a stack of Jewel in his hand as he handed her a large bill. For a guy who didn’t get to this plane he was loaded, he had to be carrying several hundred thousand jewels on him. The barista handed it back to him.

“I can’t break that do you have something smaller?” she asked and Mard looked confused.

“Do I tear off a piece of this?” he asked.

Lucy held in her laughter, it was an honest question, “no Mard, here may I see your money?”

He handed her the stack and she thumbed through it, finding a smaller bill and handing it over. “The numbers are different denominations. Maybe we should find a bank and break down a couple of the larger bills for you.”

“Merlin said I could go home when I spent all of this,” Mard said.

Lucy was a bit shocked, “Mard, Merlin must have handed you about a million jewel easy.”

“Is that a lot?” he asked and Lucy could tell he was a bit annoyed and woefully confused. She would be too if she was in his position left in a strange world with a large amount of money he didn’t understand.

She nodded, “I don’t think your friend means for you to go home soon.”

His face paled as he took a step back, “I only meant to be gone for a few hours. I am a king, Lucy.” Lucy could hear the panic in his voice and she stepped forward, gently cupping his elegant face.

“Mard, it’ll be okay,” she said.

“For that amount you could buy the coffee shop,” the girl laughed as she handed Lucy her latte.

“What would I do with a human coffee shop?” he asked.

“Drink away your profits?” Lucy teased. Mard looked utterly concerned for his predicament and Lucy sighed. “All kidding aside, I’m sure we can find something. I’ll help you get home.”

He looked down and smiled at her before gently running the back of his hand along her cheek, “thank you.”

They took their coffee cups back to the their little corner. She noticed the barista handed him a real cup, not a paper one. Lucy laughed as it said on the side, “Cthulhu is my Spirit Animal.”

He arched a brow, “what?” She pointed to the mug and he looked at it, quietly whispering the words. “Interesting, the Elder God of Madness has a reach to Earth Land? Not really my spirit animal, I do not think I have one.”

Lucy blinked, “wait you know Cthulhu? As in HP Lovecraft’s Cthulhu, it’s real?”

Mard set down the cup, a little of the liquid running down the side. “From the actual Abyss, you do not want to go there. It rests between the Plane of Shadows and Plane of Nightmares. He is an interesting creature…”

Her mind was blown, the little brain bits all over the wall. Mard just spoke so casually about these things and with what he said about his aversion to lying, she was astounded. To find out that Cthulhu was real and he knew the god? Woah.

“Does Cthulhu have a different meaning here?” he asked and Lucy nodded.

“It’s a very big thing, lots of interlacra memes and stories and jokes about him. He’s a cult icon.”

“Literally, the creature breeds cultists,” Mard said and Lucy couldn’t help by chuckle.

“Mard, how about we finish our coffee and I introduce you to other things about Earth Land?” she asked, internally a bit surprised that she was being this forward with the demon king. Then again how could she not, he had ticked off so many of her mental checkboxes about her ideal man. Well, demon.

Lucy was seriously thinking about taking a demon out. She must be losing her mind. Why couldn’t she just find a nice, normal guy to want to date? Damn if none of them ever tripped her trigger like the man across from her. Could she just get herself into anymore trouble?

“I am positive Lucy you have the capacity to get into more trouble than just spending time with a displaced king,” he said.

“Mard…” she warned.

He shot her a sly smile, “that is rather erotic how you say my name like that.”

Lucy turned bright red, she knew she did from the heat all over her upper body and the way Mard was staring at her. The look on his face was a mixture of humored and “gotchya”. She face palmed trying to hide her face as she let the mental images of all things naughty fade away.

Naughty they were…

“I do actually like that position,” he said as Lucy crashed her forehead into the table, mumbling, “why me?”

* * *

 

Mard could not recall a moment in his life when he had this much fun. Fun, he was having fun and found Lucy to be exquisite. Sure he had plenty of moments before of light hearted laughter, drunken antics and throwing barbs at people. Just not so much in the last near century, no in fact, outside of the Planar conferences, Mard just did not have fun.

Merlin, in her strange wisdom was right, he needed to get out of the castle. He needed to try new things, break the monotonous cycle of his life. Lucy and this coffee was proving to be the kind of therapy he truly needed.

She was such a fascinating creature, keen mind, curiosity in spades, wonderful laugh and for all that is unholy she was such a beautiful woman. He had never seen her equal, not even Jai and he stirred quite a bit for her. Then again after not having such a desire in so many years, even a bit was quite the sum.

Though he had another problem, he had a large amount of currency and could not go home till he spent it all. Though Merlin did not say how he had to spend it all. Perhaps he could shower Lucy in gifts, from what he heard in her mind before he stopped listening to her inner thoughts she needed money for something called rent and food. That was it he could purchase this rent for her, that would spend some of this.

He finished his coffee and looked at his companion as she was beating her head into the table. Such a silly thing, perhaps it’s a human custom? Then again he had sat through many meetings with his council and wanted to beat his head into a wall to alleviate the pain of the headache they were giving him with their stupidity. Had he annoyed her with his stupidity?

That could not be it, Mard Geer was many things but not stupid.

“Lucy, why are you looking to destroy the table with your head?”

She stopped and turned her head to the side before she started laughing. He adored that sound, “I’m not trying to destroy it, it’s a thing for when you’re confused or upset or in my case just embarrassed.”

“Wanting to bed me isn’t something to be embarrassed about, given the chance I would bed you.”

Lucy sat up and brushed her hair out of her face, her eyes more wide than he had ever seen. “Y-you what?”

“Would like to bed you. Is that wrong?” he asked. A simple proposition for sex was uncomplicated, humans surely had to know about sex, Merlin loved to talked about it on occasion. There were breeds of demons who used sex in lieu of handshakes, it was a common element of his life. Well, it was.

She nibbled her bottom lip, he enjoyed watching her teeth latch to the plump dark pink body part. “No, Mard it isn’t wrong but we just met and well…”

“Oh, humans require courtship then?” he asked. Mard was not looking for such a long drawn out practice and he wasn’t certain if Lucy would understand the demonic version, _deia  grauwerbunzieg_. It would involve a series of tests, a battle of wills and three days of intense mating. From there the courtship was considered complete. Since mating was part of it, she would most likely object, she seemed uncomfortable with the prospect of sex in general or perhaps, she was not as attracted to him as he thought.

“Not all, but I…” she huffed, “look I’ve done the one night stand thing before and it just wasn’t all that it was cracked up to be. I don’t need a full courtship but I’d like a couple dates before jumping in the sack.”

“Humans sleep in sacks?” he asked, surprised by this. He should introduce Lucy to a bed, particularly his bed. The large sleeping space was firm but comfortable, with feather pillows and soft spidarling silk thread sheets. Then again to see her creamy skin and golden hair on top of the dark purple would be impressive site.

“No, Mard, it’s an expression, we sleep in beds.” she said and he was slightly relieved.

“So you require me to purchase a couple pieces of fruit for you to allow me to bed you?” Her head went right back onto the table and he was largely confused by this behavior.

“Mard,” she groaned and sat up, “a date is where we go out and do things in an attempt to know each other.”

“So this is a date, then and not just a fruit,” it was logical.

She flushed again, “I guess so.”

“So then, I am at your command. Since I lack a frame of reference for a date,” he said as he downed the last of his coffee.

“How about some lunch and a trip to the park, it’s a nice day,” she suggested.

“Merlin would bring me human food, it is not unenjoyable, just different,” Mard replied. Though he had to admit he did enjoy a piece of confectionary called a cupcake and also pie. That was when he was informed that he may have a bit of a sweet tooth. That was odd he never thought of teeth as being sweet, usually he just spat them out if somehow a fang got into his food.

“What have you tried? What do you eat in the Underworld?” she asked as she sipped her latte.

“Cupcakes and pies, the occasional scone and a cake that was not a cup,” he said as he longed for more coffee, “usually my diet is whatever wild demon or game the staff prepares.”

“You eat other demons?” she asked her voice incredulous.

“Yes, with a fork and knife. Though I am choosy on the species, some are just too stringy and some too much fat or poisoned. Do you not eat flesh?”

“We-well, one humans don’t eat humans and two I eat steak, chicken, eggs and fish. Not a fan of game meats, too wild.” she said.

“Then I shall have to try what is considered acceptable flesh to dine on then,” Mard figured it was only polite. Though he wasn’t certain about eating human, on the walk here many humans he passed did not smell edible. Though Lucy did, yet he was certain that was a different form of eating he’d like to do.

That shocked him a little, he was under the weight of all this lust and not used to it. Yet, to look at her, it was hard not to be. She was everything he could never find in the Underworld. Though he bet that was the point of the whole trip up here and he started to wonder if Merlin, may have set something up. That would not surprise him in the least.

“I know a wonderful little barbeque place, you can sample a variety of meats and other things,” she said.

“Then, whenever you are ready. I look forward to the meal.”

Lucy tipped back her mug, grabbed her pouch (least he thought that was what it was) and her book. He followed her, not knowing why he had to take the cup to the counter. Didn’t the coffee servant clean up after the people? As he set it on the counter, Lucy took his hand.

“I think you should buy that, little souvenir,” she quipped.

“Ah, then I can spend more of this money, good idea. I will purchase this mug,” he said to the girl and she smiled at him. She took the mug and carefully washed it before wrapping it in paper and putting it into a pink bag. Mard was not a fan of the bag but he appreciated the care with the little item. Even if fate hated him and he never saw Lucy again or had coffee, he had this little reminder. Though he would most likely break it in a moment of anger if either of those two things did in fact happen.

To never have coffee again? Horrible concept. He hoped to find more of it on their excursion. Being polite he held out his arm for Lucy and felt delight when she took it. Their eyes met again as she smiled at him, he swallowed. Somehow he was still a hair nervous around her, perhaps because he was not used to their customs.

They got outside and Mard took in an eyeful of sunlight, he hissed and reached for those sunglasses Merlin gave him. Lucy of course had her own pair, hiding in her bag, they were nice on her, fit her face well. She gave a gentle pull on his arm and Mard let her lead, after all he had no idea where he was.

“So do people in the Underworld dress like us?” Lucy asked as they stood on a corner.

“Yes and no, this is not my usual attire. Merlin thought I would blend in, personally I do not like the outfit,” he replied.

“It looks very attractive on you Mard,” she said with a smile and Mard was certain his heart had done something odd in his chest. Fluttering, perhaps?

“Your garment is also very attractive, Lucy.”

She blushed again and now he was determined to understand this. “Why do you flush with color so often?”

Lucy chuckled, “I’m not used to being complimented, so it’s a little embarrassing.”

“Will you need me to stop, though you are attractive with your cheeks flushed with color.”

She did it again and at this point Mard was thinking he may turn this into a game. See how many times he could provoke her into blushing.

“No, it’s nice, normally,” she paused and nibbled her bottom lip, “a lot of guys don’t bother, unless they want to kidnap me.”

Mard blinked, he was dumbfounded by this, just how stupid were these human males? Also kidnapping her is something humans do? Though he could see her easily being taken away, she was small and he bet it did not require a significant amount of strength to carry her. Though he noted she did look a little upset by that revelation. Not quite certain what the human custom is for this he decided to just go with what he knew. How he used to comfort his long dead desire.

He put his hand under her chin and lifted her beautiful face. The sunlight shimmered on her lips and he leaned down, pressing his to hers. The contact was like pure hellfire ripping through his body and he found a bit of ecstasy in this with her. She tasted like stardust and some kind of fruit, sweet and exotic. Mard ran his tongue against the seam of her mouth as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close.

The kiss was deep and pleasant as he slid his tongue against hers enjoying how she had a faint taste of coffee to her. Her book was pressed between them and he didn’t mind as the corner poked at his stomach. She grabbed at the back of his shirt and held him to her as he assaulted her mouth.

He heard people making noises form whistles and cries to “get a room.” They did not matter, instead he had this perfect little taste of Heaven and coffee kissing him. Mard enjoyed this, he truly enjoyed this and felt...well he didn’t know what he felt, but he liked it. That much he knew.

She pulled back and gasped for air, all the while still pressed against him. “Wow…” she breathed.

“Indeed,” he agreed and suddenly he had an idea. Mard held her hands and gazed into her eyes, “what do I do for another kiss like that?”

She blushed again and giggled, “all the Jewel in your pocket.”

He held on to her as he fished into his pocket and pulled out the paper currency in there. Mard put them in her hand, “here I am purchasing with all the Jewel one more kiss.”

As Lucy opened her mouth a portal opened under them and he held on to her. They fell through the ground as she buried her face into his shirt trying to muffle her cries and he held on to her. “I have got you.”

The trip lasted several seconds and they appeared right in his garden. Lucy pulled back from him and looked around. “Where? Stars above you kidnapped me!”

“Welcome to my home, Castle Tartaros, my garden to be exact,” he stepped closer to her and she took a step back. He noticed how Velvet looked over at his guest and he shook his head and sent a little message to the hungry rose that Lucy was a guest not food.

“You...you are just like every other guy!” she screeched and Mard rubbed his ear, that was unpleasant.

“I am not, now I paid you for another kiss.”

Her eyes wide as she looked at him, he didn’t expect it but she pulled her hand back and tried to slap him, he caught it. “Careful, that’s demonic foreplay.”

Lucy struggled in his grip, her book falling to the ground and Mard bent over to pick it up. “Books are precious, that was rude.” She stopped her movements and suddenly began to laugh. There, that was the kind of reaction he wanted. Luch should enjoy this, he brought her home and gave her all the money to purchase her rent. All he wanted was another kiss.

“You are crazy, I knew it!” she said, still laughing.

“Perhaps, though I find myself to be quite sane,” he said with a smirk on his face.

“Crazy people never know they are crazy,” Lucy added and Mard chuckled. He let go of her hand and noticed how she started looking around the area. As Mard watched her fascination with his roses, he noticed something unusual. They were moving towards her, that had never happened, his magic never reacted like that to anyone. Except for Velvet and Alba, then again it’s because they ate living creatures.

“The roses are beautiful,” she said. He set the book and his pink bag on the little table and walked over to her.

He stood behind her and circled his arms around her, cupping his hands in front of her. Mard let his magic flow as he created a large pink rose, the same color as her cheeks when she blushes. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered and he allowed the rose to lift from his hands and pull apart, the petals circling around them. Lucy let out a soft sigh, “I love roses.”

“So do I, my magic works with them and they are my royal seal.”

She turned around and looked up at him, “Mard, you still kidnapped me.”

“I am still a demon, Lucy, about that kiss?” he asked, slowly dipping his head down, his lips searching for hers.

“Just a kiss?” she asked.

“I will not say no to more, you won’t either. Tell me that first kiss didn’t leave you as mentally incapacitated as it left me.” he said his nose brushing against her cheek.

He just held her as he breathed in her scent and listened for her stray thoughts. Mard was patient and could clearly hear the mental debate in her head. Yes, she was just as affected and yes, she wanted him and yes, she was so confused to be here. Lucy had a complicated mind, but it was beautiful when it blossomed, like a little rosebud. All the capacity of a large heavy bloom compacted into a small closed version of itself. If only he could get Lucy to bloom, then he could have her.

“Still need an answer, Lucy, my control is not without limits,” he whispered before softly kissing the shell of her ear.

She let out a breath, “fuck it,” to Mard’s surprise she grabbed his ponytail and pulled him into their next kiss.

This one was even more pronounced than the first and he let his hands trails down her sides before he cupped her pert ass. As he lifted her up, he was quite right, she was light and her long legs wrapped around his waist. He didn’t need to see where he was going, the pathway in the garden led straight there. This way he could enjoy his morning reading in the garden before readying himself for his day.

Her little nails scraped along the back of his neck as he walked as his hands massaged the globes of her butt, enjoying the feeling of the silk she wore over them. He kicked open his bedroom door and kicked it again to close it, the whole time their lips had not parted and their tongues moved against each other.

Mard made it to the bed where he spun around and sat upon it letting her straddle his lap. Lucy pulled up for a moment but to only grab the bottom of her dress and she removed it from her body. His brows shot up as he licked his lips and looked at her barely covered body.

The dark pink bra and panties were beautiful on her, the warmth of the color adding a bit of pink to the surrounding skin. He could feel himself harden in the accursed jeans as he threw off his own shirt.

“Are you a sex demon?” she asked before she kissed his cheek.

“I am not an Incubus, Etherious demon actually,” Mard replied as he tried to understand how this bra would come apart without tearing it.

“Are you always so literal?” she teased as she sat up and pushed the front part of the bra together before it released and she let it drop to the ground.

He stared at her beautiful breasts, palming one he enjoyed the weight and the softness of it. Mard leaned forward and gently bit the skin above her nipple, she shivered in his lap and he enjoyed that movement. “Most of the time,” he finally answered.

Lucy giggled as she pulled out his ponytail and he shook his head, letting the heavy locks fall down his back. “Your hair is impressive,” she said, “what do you use for conditioner?”

Mard looked up at her and started to chuckle, “you want to talk about hair care now?” He asked as he rolled his hips up letting his erection press into her.

“Point taken,” she said with a devious smile on her face before she ran her fingers through the locks. Their lips met again as she pushed down on him and Mard let himself lay back in the bed for her.

Lucy was wicked with how her hips rolled over him, her arousal scented the air and Mard growled into their kiss. He wasn’t a sex demon but what if she secretly was one? The power of her body and just how good she tasted, could not have been normal. If this was normal for humans, he should have ventured to Earth Land a long time ago.

Mard rolled them over, settling himself before her legs as he laid a trail of open mouth kisses and bites down the expanse of her body. Lucy let out little moans and gasps as he drew one of her dusty pink nipples into his mouth and sucked on it. Her skin was pure sin and from what he could scent in the air, her arousal would be finer than any wine he had ever sampled.

He did mention that his patience did have limits and this was it. So he stopped his ministrations on her harden nipple and continued moving towards her sex. His lips ghosted over her skin as he followed down the soft lines of her abdomen and coming to her panties he ripped them off.

“Those were expensive,” she complained and Mard looked up at her.

“Never wear those again, not when you are hiding such a treat,” he said as he placed a kiss to her damp curls. She smelt perfect, like every beautiful sin wrapped together and covered in coffee. Because chocolate would not do.

He put her legs on his shoulders as he spread apart her glistening womanhood. Mard enjoyed the site, truly like opening a rosebud, pink and perfect. He ran his tongue up her, collecting her taste and enjoying it. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and Mard Geer may have discovered a new addiction, better than coffee.

Starving demons did not ravage this treat as Mard devoured Lucy’s beautiful pussy. He teased her clit with his tongue, making her squirm and pull on his hair. That was strangely enjoyable, normally he wasn’t a fan of hair pulling but it was erotic when she did it. As he lapped at her he inserted a finger into her and for all that is unholy she was slick, hot and tight around the one slim digit. It caused his hips to ground into the bed trying to get friction for his screaming cock.

All the ways he could take her and will take her. After this he would be damned if she ever left this bed. Lucy was moaning, her cries alternating between “yes,” “god,” and “Mard”, he loved the lewd sounds from her.

He put in a second finger and pumped them into her tight little body as he continued tormenting her clit. “Ye-yes...god, right there…” she said and Mard increased his movements on her, knowing she would orgasm for him. To see her a quivering mess, laid out for him and broken apart would be the finest gift he could ask for.

Mard curled his fingers as he gently pinched her pearl with his teeth. That had the desired effect as her channel gripped onto his fingers and she pressed down on his head, forcing him harder against her essence. He made a mental note that she may enjoy things a little rough, he knew he did.

Not wanting to waste a bit of her taste he sucked on his fingers as he came up to kneeling and with one hand started undoing his pants. Lucy was up on her elbows, her skin flushed and slightly glistening in sweat, she was breathing hard. The look in her eyes said he should hurry up.

He managed to kick the pants off of him as he crawled over her. Letting his thick length rub against her, he kissed her greedily as he moved against her. Mard wanted her unable to think, just a wanton mess begging for the release and pleasure he could give her.

Mard broke the kiss, “do you desire me, Lucy?”

“Yes, I desire you Mard, please…” she whined and he found himself completely at her mercy.

“How do you want me?” he asked, because he wasn’t certain how she enjoyed sex or what she knew of it.

“Every way, show me what kind of demon you are,” she said and Mard kissed her.

He got up on his knees and opening her legs, he straddled her right leg as he crossed her left leg over, pressing her outer thigh against his stomach and as he leaned down he slowly started filling her. “L-Lucy..” he stammered, his cock struggling against her tight walls and he loved it.

“Fu-fuck...so...nnngh…” she said as he snapped his hips with a little bit of force until he was flush with her body.

In this position he could play with her beautiful breasts and watch her face. He palmed those beautiful globes as he pulled at her nipples, she hissed as her head pressed back into the bedding. Mard began to move, a slow steady rhythm just to stretch her out a bit.

Mard was lost to the sensations around him, from her voice, to her feel and her erotic scent. He kept his eyes on her face, watching her contort between pain and pleasure as his thrusts became more forceful.

“Never, I will not be, without this…” he said, enthralled to how her body quivered around him as he pistoned into her.

“N-never...oh fuck...harder,” she demanded as her hands wrapped around his wrists. Lucy clawed into his skin and he growled at her, enjoying the burn of her pain as he also enjoyed the pleasure of her tight channel.

Mard, not one to say to no to something that would bring him pleasure, obliged her and added a bit of a roll to his hips, to drive himself deeper into her. The violent slapping of skin filled the room as they both panted or moaned at the feeling of each other.

“Touch yourself…” he commanded.

Lucy let go of one of his wrists as she began to play with her clit. The scene was mesmerizing, watching his length disappear inside of her as her fingers circled around her wanton little nub. Her body squirmed under him as he continued taking her, he was nearing the end of his limit. She felt just too good to be real, he could feel the delicious desire of his release racing through his veins.

“M-Mard...I’m...I’m...gonna cum,” she called out as her head whipped back and forth and her hips started to move at their own rhythm.

“Yes, all over me…” he said and she did, screaming his name as her body tightened suddenly. Driving him crazy and he roared as his release barrel through his cock. Each pulse of release he followed by slamming into her body, it felt like it wouldn’t end. The pleasure a new kind of high and he needed more of this.

Eventually his orgasm died and he managed to pull out of her warmth. It was an inelegant maneuver as he fell face first into the bed. Mard could hear her panting and feel her body shake next to his. He rolled to his side and pulled her against him, placing soft kisses to her temple.

“Lucy...hmmmm…” he managed to say with great difficulty.

“Indeed,” she said and he couldn’t help but chuckle at her.

* * *

 

Merlin was leaning against Leo as she polished off another bottle of wine. The Lion spirit had his tie loosened, glasses off and a flush over his cheeks. She caught him stealing a glance over at the scrying mirror. They spent the night drinking, playing cards, talking and randomly checking in on Mard and Lucy. Though she had no idea things would move as quickly as they did. Then again, soulmates.

“Do you think…” he started to ask before he ran his hand through his hair. Merlin knew the spirit had a thing for his master but that was a big no no. Also there was no real way for it to work out, humans and spirits just didn’t mix very well. Like the question of a bird and fish in love, she felt horrible for the handsome lad.

“They are finally done, dunno, it’s only been,” she looked at her clocks, knowing that the Underworld and Earth Land held the same time metric, “twelve hours.”

“She’s a human, she’ll tire out,” Leo shrugged, “I think…”

“Close yer peepholes, I’ll check,” she said as she got up. Merlin wobbled a little as she walked to the mirror. Thinking of Mard she tapped the glass.

The surface rippled like water until it showed an image of Mard curled around Lucy. Her nose in his neck as he held her close, both of them with content smiles on their faces. She sighed, it was bloody beautiful to see her friend at peace. Though she had no idea he was quite so active, as it were. Then again if she went almost a century without sex, she might try to make it all up in one go.

“They are asleep, tis a charming scene,” she said and watched how Leo reluctantly stood up. He padded over to her and gazed at the mirror.

“She’s happy,” he said, a small smile on his beautiful features.

“That was the point, Mard’s happy too.”

“Earth Land should be fine now?” he asked.

“Safe from Mard, damn wanker was going to destroy magic,” she shook her head. Though she had to admit the plan in its early phases was brilliant, she just could not allow it to happen. Earth Land was her home, the place of her birth and she didn't want to see magic erased from it.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

Merlin chuckled, “you think Lucy will let him destroy magic?”

“I think she’ll kick him first.”

“Well my work here is done, except for one thing. Lucy is going to need a little item to stay in the Underworld. So tell me,” she put her hands on Leo’s shoulders, “where is Corvus these days?”

* * *

 

Lucy woke up the next morning, she was curled up against Mard as he held her tight. Never in her life had she ever thought she could go who knows how many hours. Dear Goddess above the king had stamina for days and her whole body was so sensitive that even using the bathroom tingled in an almost uncomfortable way.

Her poor clit may never recover. Hell with that, no man would ever freaking compare to the gifted lover who was holding her.

“It’s not like you are going to find out,” he said his voice thick with sleep.

“Oh, are you planning on keeping me here like Persephone?” she asked.

“No, I am not going to give you a pomegranate, you will be here year round,” he said as he kissed her forehead.

“You think so?” she asked, her fingertips trailing down his arm.

“I do not have to think about that, you told me many times last night, verbally, that you love my tongue too much to leave,” he replied as he grabbed a hold of her ass, forcing her leg to drape over him.

Lucy shivered as she thought about all the wicked things he did with his tongue. In fact, it should be registered as a dangerous weapon. _Property of Lucy_ , she thought as Mard chuckled. She rolled her eyes, used to the idea that he could hear her little random thoughts. Then again his telepathy came in handy last night when she was too incoherent to form words.

“Yes, it did,” he said as he rolled to his back, keeping Lucy on top of him. God he was already hard and though Lucy was sore was hell, how the hell was she going to say no to him?

She was slick and sticky between her legs, despite the fact they had showered a couple time last night. They also screwed like rabbits in the shower. His dick twitched under her and she rolled her hips a little.

“Rosebud, teasing is not recommended,” Mard said and she smiled at the little name. At some point last night between some unknown number of bouts of sex, he called her that as they were catching their breath. Considering his affinity of roses, it was absolutely sweet.

Lucy rolled her hips and he growled at her, “but, what if I like teasing?”

“Careful, you will not like it if I start teasing you. Cause I will bind you to the bed, tease you endlessly with my tongue until you have gone insane from lack of orgasm.”

She gulped, completely aware of the fact that he meant it, because Mard didn’t lie and he didn’t seem like the type to make idle threats. Not wanting to find out for fact, she lifted up with her legs and wrapping a hand around the base of his shaft she held him up as she slid down.

Lucy leaned back as she adjusted to him inside of her and felt it as Mard moved. He managed to push them back with his heels so he could sit against the headboard. God his eyes were sucking her in before he kissed her and Lucy started an easy pace to ride him.

She was addicted to feeling him, his sounds, taste, mind and everything. Never had she ever just connected with someone and here he was, the King of the Underworld. That was a bit frightening, knowing she was fucking a damn king. How long till he was done with her or needed to take a proper bride? Why did she have to start thinking of this shit now, especially while he was kissing her as if he’d die without her lips.

Mard pulled back, “I can choose anyone as my Queen.”

Lucy stopped and stared at him, her arms around his neck as he cupped her curves, holding her on him. “Anyone?”

“Anyone, though, do not think about it now, not while…” his voice trailed off as he lifted her a bit. She got the hint that he wanted to keep going, so did she but the feeling was nagging her.

Even as she enjoyed feeling his cock slide in and out of her, Lucy couldn’t stop thinking about when this would end. How she would be left alone and never have something as perfect as this. She knew better she should enjoy what she has now, deal with the rest later. Why was she always the kind of idiot who put her heart into sex?

She was no one, just a mage who couldn’t even make S-Class. A girl who was either ignored or paid attention to for all the wrong reasons. Honestly, Mard even kidnapped her and maybe she was just getting the early phases of Stockholm Syndrome.

He stopped and cupped her face, his thumbs brushing over her cheeks. “Stop, I cannot read the future but I know I do not have one without you in it, Rosebud.”

She nibbled her lip and looked into his eyes, he looked so worried. It was the most beautiful thing anyone ever said to her and it was said with heart. “Mard, I just....”

“Think too much, and in horrible directions. You are perfection, I do not know what the human concept of love is but I know for demons we have desire. I desire you and only you.” he gave her a sweet little kiss and she smiled.

“I can handle that, maybe I’ll teach you about love,” she said.

“Deal, now…” he gave her a devious smile and with great enthusiasm, Lucy happily rode her king.

After they had sex again, Lucy looked around his room. She couldn't get over the fact his room was practically a library and she wanted to explore it. Mard kissed her hand, “go on. No one will come barging in here, the servants know better.”

Lucy smiled and quickly hopped off the bed. She looked at the first book case, and realized that none of the books were written in any language she recognized. That was going to be a problem.

“You will need to learn Infernai, lucky for you, you have a teacher,” Mard said and she looked over her shoulder to see him on his side, hand propping up his head as his braid fell across his neck. That was interesting, before it got too late, Mard asked her to braid his hair, saying he never liked sleeping with it loose. Lucy actually enjoyed that, his hair was soft and as she found out last night, he didn’t use a conditioner, a blend of oils infused with roses. She had to admit, her hair felt amazing this morning.

Her attention back at the bookcase, she noticed a book with a strange title. She grabbed it off the shelf, _The Book of E.N.D._ Lucy, curious, held it up, “Mard, what book is this?”

He chuckled and patted the spot next to him in the bed, “nothing to worry about, just a fairy tale.”

* * *

 There you have it, thanks to coffee the world was saved from Mard Geer ^^

Thank you everyone for the comments and kudos thus far, I am very happy that you have been enjoying these stories!!!

Comment and kudos!

 


	8. Marked and Book

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Note about the Marked and Book Prompts

Marked is an update for [Her Sire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15645375/chapters/40755434), after all who doesn't want more of vampire!Mard? Please enjoy and to fans of that story, sorry you had to wait so long.

Book will be an update for [Thorn in his Side](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13919517/chapters/32036697). After all gotta celebrate the 1 year original publishing anniversary of that story that started all this MardLu insanity ^^

 

Thank you!

 

 


	9. Roses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short drabble. Thank you everyone for reading and participating in MardLu Week. This has been so much fun and it's sad to see it over. There is always next year and may 2019 be a wonderful year for all of you.

He first saw her hanging over the side of her window, watering two little potted ferns. The sunlight shimmered off her hair, glittering for a moment as wayward white strands danced in the breeze. Her smile was full of warmth as she set about the small task before sliding back inside. 

His heart caught in his throat as he clutched the bouquet of roses in his hand. After all these years he never tired of seeing her. Since the first moment he gazed at her in the school library, he was hooked on the beauty who tended to her plants. 

Mard made his way down the hall fumbling with his key before managing to unlock the door. As he opened the door, he took off his shoes and set his cane to the side. Slowly he shambled through the small apartment, looking around at all the mementos of their life.

A wedding picture of them, her in her beautiful long white gown and him in his tuxedo, kissing under an archway filled with roses. Lucy smiling at the camera, tired and sweaty while holding their first child. Mard sharing a laugh with his brother with Lucy standing beside him, her belly large with the twins. Family picture of them under a willow tree, with Spawnling sticking her tongue out as Haladie screamed, Ram the only one actually smiling at the camera. Various pictures of their three children sharing moments with them and little stickers with their names on each picture.

A bookcase filled with many stories and photo albums, showing their tastes and life, catalogued in prose and pictures. All the days they read together and all the stories she wrote as she told an epic tail about the “Demon King and the Key Holder.” He smiled as he crossed into the bedroom, watching his wife as she backed up in her wheelchair. 

As he looked at her he could not see the age in her face for she was still just as beautiful as she was all those years ago. So Mard knelt before his wife, his life, his heart and handed her the bouquet of roses he had cultivated just for this day. They were the perfect shade of pink, like her cheeks every time he kissed her.

His life’s work, selective breeding, genetic splicing, everything into crafting the perfect never fading rose. It was the perfect gift, his whole life and passion in her frail shaking hands. Lucy looked at him and a tear rolled down her cheek.

“Thank you for sixty wonderful years, Rosebud. I love you,” he whispered.

For a moment he saw a fleeting glimmer of recognition in her eyes as she put a hand to his cheek, “love you too, Mard.” He held back the sob that threatened to spill out of him, she remembered. Just this one moment, even if soon she would forget his name, she at least knew him now. “Roses, I always know your roses,” she said and the tears started to fall as he put his head into her lap. Thanking God above that just for this minute, he had his Rosebud back and she remembered enough to love him. On their anniversary.

* * *

 

Thank you! Comment and kudos. I know it's short, so odd for me, but just something to wrap up the long culmination of the week and a beautiful farewell to my favorite couple.

 

Love you all, thank you for being here.


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